THE   UNIVERSITY 

OF   ILLINOIS 

LIBRARY 


Gets 

V.6 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 
AND  ITS  ENVIRONS 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OP  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK 

THE  CAMBRIDGE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 

LONDON  AND  EDINBURGH 

THE  MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA 

TOKYO,  OSAKA,  KYOTO,  FUKUOKA,  SENDAl 

THE  MISSION  BOOK  COMPANY 

SHANGHAI 


THE  GEOGRAPHIC  SOCIETY  OF  CHICAGO 
BULLETIN  No.  6 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

AND  ITS  ENVIRONS 


By 

CARL  O.  SAUER 

GILBERT  H.  CADY 

AND 

HENRY  C.  COWLES 


PUBLISHED  FOR  THE  GEOGRAPHIC  SOCIETY  OF  CHICAGO 

By 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


Copyright  1918  By 
The  University  of  Chicago 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Published  October  191 8 


Composed  and  Printed  By 

The  University  of  Chicago  Press 

Chirasro,  Illinois,  U.S.A. 


b57 


Cop,  b 


FOREWORD 

This  Bulletin  has  been  prepared  for  the  benefit  of  those  who,  in  their 
visits  to  Starved  Rock  State  Park,  are  interested  in  knowing  more  about 
the  region  than  can  be  gathered  by  personal  observation  in  the  few  hours, 
or  the  few  days,  commonly  spent  in  the  park.  The  authors  of  the 
several  parts  of  the  volume  have  given  much  time  to  the  stutiy  of  those 
phases  of  the  region  which  they  severally  discuss.  The  chief  interest 
of  the  Geographic  Society  centers  in  the  geography  of  the  region.  The 
physical  geography  of  the  park  and  its  surroundings  has  a  number  of 
features,  such  as  the  beautiful  little  canyons,  which  are  somewhat 
unusual  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Physical  geography  has  its  basis 
in  geology,  and  plant  life  is  closely  related  to  topography  and  to  condi- 
tions of  moisture,  soil,  and  sunlight.  In  addition  to  a  discussion  of 
the  geography,  therefore,  it  has  seemed  appropriate  to  present  a  brief 
outline  of  the  geology  of  the  region,  and  to  give  some  account  of  the 
plant  Kfe  as  related  to  its  physical  surroundings. 

One  phase  of  modern  geography  is  historical,  and  the  author  of 

Part  I  has  given  some  account  of  the  historical  development  of  the  region, 

especially  in  its  relation  to  physical  environment.     The  historical  state- 

v'ment  has  gone  beyond  the  strict  limits  of  geography,  but  not  beyond 

,j  the  limits  which  seem  appropriate  in  this  Bulletin.     The  history  leads 

■  ■)  to  a  consideration  of  human  activities  in  the  region  at  the  present  time, 

"""  and  of  their  relations  to  the  physical  environment.     This  human  phase 

of  the  subject  may  be  of  interest  to  some  to  whom  physical  features  do 

not  make  a  strong  appeal. 

It  is  especially  fitting  that  this  Bulletin  is  published  by  the  Geo- 
graphic Society  of  Chicago,  since  this  Society  was  one  of  the  prime 
"^  movers  in  the  establishment  of  the  park.    Through  a  committee,  of  which 
W.  F.  Rocheleau  was  chairman,  the  Society  took  an  active  part  in  securing 
the  passage  of  the  Illinois  Park  Commission  Bill,  and  after  the  bill  was 
.  passed  was  represented  by  Professor  Wallace  W.  Atwood,  then  of  the 
'."  University  of  Chicago,  on  the  commission  appointed  under  it.     The 
Starved  Rock  State  Park  became  a  fact  after  the  report  of  that  com- 
mission. 

The  gratitude  of  the  Society  is  due  to  the  authors^-Dr.  Sauer,  now 
of  the  University  of  Michigan;  Dr.  Cady,  of  the  Illinois  State  Geological 


vi  FOREWORD 

Survey;  and  Professor  Cowles,  of  the  University  of  Chicago— for  their 
several  contributions,  which  have  been  made  without  expense  to  the 
Society.  The  compensation  of  the  authors  must  come  from  the  grati- 
tude of  those  who  use  the  volume.  If  it  shall  prove  that  they  have 
helped  others  to  see,  to  understand,  and  to  appreciate,  they  will  feel 
repaid  for  their  work. 

The  Geological  Survey  of  the  state,  ever  mindful  of  the  interests  of 
the  citizens  of  the  state,  has  generously  furnished  the  topographic  and 
geologic  maps  which  accompany  the  volume,  and  has,  from  the  beginning, 
encouraged  in  every  way  the  preparation  of  the  volume. 

RoLLiN  D.  Salisbury 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

List  of  Illustrations      


PART  I.     GEOGRAPHY 
SURFACE   FEATURES   AND   THEIR   ORIGIN 

Topography 5 

Influence  of  Bed  Rock  on  Topography 19 

Beginning  of  the  Physiographic  Record 26 

Drift 28 

The  Ice  Age  in  Northern  Illinois 30 

History  of  the  Illinois  Valley 35 

Postglacial  Changes  and  Present  Conditions 38 

EXPLORATION,  SETTLEMENT,  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  REGION 

The  French  Colonial  Empire ^  .  45 

Indian  Tribes  and  Their  Life 59 

Permanent  Settlement  of  the  Illinois  Valley 66 

The  Demand  for  Improved  Communication 70 

Mines  and  Factories 77 

Starved  Rock  State  Park 81 

PART  II.     GEOLOGY 

Introduction 88 

Geologic  Record 92 

Geologic  History 120 

Conclusion 127 

PART  III.     BOTANY 

Introduction 131 

The  Oak  Forest  Uplands 131 

The  Canyons 132 

The  River  Bluffs 135 

The  Bottom  Lands      . 137 

The  History  of  the  Starved  Rock  Vegetation 139 

Index 143 

vii 


Fig.  I 


Fig. 
Fig. 


Fig.  4 
Fig.  5 
Fig.  6 

Fig.  7 

Fig.  8 
Fig.  9 
Fig.  io 
Fig.  II 
Fig.  12 
Fig.  13 
Fig.  14 
Fig.  15, 

Fig. 16 

Fig.  17 
Fig.  18 
Fig.  19 
Fig.  20 

Fig.  21 
Fig.  22, 
Fig.  23. 
Fig.  24 
Fig.  25 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

— Map  Showing  Location  of  Starved  Rock  State  Park  and 

Principal  Railroad  Lines  by  Which  It  May  Be  Reached  6 

— View  down  the  Illinois  Valley  from  Starved  Rock    .  7 
— View  down  the  Illinois  Valley  from  Starved  Rock  at 

High  Water .«     .      .  8 

— Starved  Rock    9 

— Starved  Rock  from  the  Landward  Side 10 

— Entrance   to   Starved    Rock   State    Park   from   Utica 

Bridge 11 

— Profiles   across   Illinois    Valley   at   Various    Places, 

Showing  Changes  in  Nature  of  Valley  Sides  ...  12 

— View  Upstream  from  Starved  Rock 13 

— Lover's  Leap,  Seen  from  the  Water's  Edge    ....  14 

— Head  of  Curtis  Canyon •  15 

— View  out  of  French  Canyon 16 

— Overhanging  Side  Wall  in  Atwood  Canyon       ....  17 

— Interior  of  French  Canyon 18 

— Lower  End  of  French  Canyon 19 

— Development   of   Valleys   in   St.    Peter   Sandstone   as 

Contrasted  with  Normal  Development 20 

— Development  of  Cliff  Face  through  Capping  of  Hard 

Stratum 21 

— The  Devil's  Nose  at  Starved  Rock 22 

— Pitted  Sides  of  Canyon  of  Deer  Park  Glen      ....  23, 

— Horseshoe  Canyon 24 

— Relation  of  Starved  Rock  to  Leading  Glacial  Features 

OF  Northern  Illinois ^2 

— Tributary  Canyon  in  Deer  Park  Glen 39 

— Sketch  of  a  Part  of  Joliet's  Map  of  1674 46 

— Franquelin's  Map  of  1684 52 

— Geologic  Map  of  North  Central  Illinois 89 

— Structure  Section  from  Peru  to  Buffalo  Park  along  the 

North  Bluff  of  Illinois  Valley go 


X  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Fig.  26. — Glacial  Map  of  Northern  Illinois gi 

Fig.  27. — Structural  Unconformity  between  Coal-bearing  Strata 
AND  Underlying  Rocks,  as  at  Split  Rock  and  Deer 
Park 93 

Fig.  28. — Erosional  Unconformity  between  Sandstone  and  Lime- 
stone, as  between  the  St.  Peter  Sandstone  and  Shak- 
OPEE  Dolomite 93 

Fig.  29. — Well  at  Starved  Rock  Hotel 97 

Fig.  30. — Lower  Magnesian  Limestone  Outcropping  along  the 
North  Bluff  of  Illinois  River  between  Split  Rock  and 
Utica 99 

Fig.  31. — Unconformity  between  St.  Peter  Limestone  and  Platte- 

ville-Galena  Dolomite  at  Deer  Park loi 

Fig.  32. — Condensed  Generalized  Section  of  "Coal  Measures"  in 

the  La  Salle  Region 104 

Fig.  t,t,. — Irregular    Surface    of    Platte ville- Galena    Dolomite 

BELOW   THE    "COAL    MEASURES"  ClAY  IN  ClAY  PiTS  WeST 

of  Starved  Rock  Park 106 

Fig.  34. — Bowlder  of  Pisolitic  Limestone  from  the  Pottsville 

Formation  of  Southwestern  Illinois 107 

Fig.  35. — Section  of  the  Lower  Part  of  Carbondale  Formation 
along  Vermilion  River  at  Lowell  and  Section  of  the 
Lower  Part  of  Carbondale  Formation  along  Covel 
Creek iii 

Fig.  36. — Black  Fissile   Shale  or  "Slate"   15   to  18  Feet  above 

Coal  No.  2 113 

Fig.  3 7. ^Sketch  Map  Showing  the  Approximate  Position  of  Some 
OF  the  Preglacial  Valleys  in  the  Region  of  Starved 
Rock 123 

Fig.  38.— a  Fern  Bank 134 

Fig.  39. — The  Crest  of  Lover's  Leap 136 

Fig.  40  — A  Recently  Developed   Island  in  the  Illinois  River, 

near  Starved  Rock 138 

Plate  I. — Geological  Map  of  Starved  Rock  State  Park  and  Ad- 
joining Area in  pocket 

Geographical  Map  of  Starved  Rock  and  Vicinity      ...        in  pocket 


PART  I 

GEOGRAPHY 

By  • 

Carl  O.  Sauer 


OUTLINE 

SURFACE  FEATURES  AND  THEIR  ORIGIN 
Topography 

The  Illinois  River 

Features  of  the  Illinois  Valley 

Starved  Rock  and  Similar  Features 

Valley  Floor 

Valley  Slopes— Bluffs 

Tributary  Valleys 
The  Prairie 

Attractions  of  the  Starved  Rock  Region 
Influence  of  Bed  Rock  on  Topography 
Topographic  Expression  of  the  Anticline 
St.  Peter  Sandstone 
Prairie  du  Chien  Limestone 
La  Salle  Limestone 
Beginning  of  the  Physiographic  Record 
Buried  Surface  of  the  Bed  Rock 
The  Peneplain 

Depressions  in  the  Bed  Rock 
History  of  the  Surface  of  the  Bed  Rock 

Drift 

Composition 

Till 

Stratified  Drift 

Upland  Clay 
Drift  Topography 
The  Ice  Age  in  Northern  Illinois 
Work  of  the  Ice 

Erosion 

Deposition 
Early  Invasions  of  the  Ice 
Wisconsin  Ice  Epoch 

Bloomington  Stage 

Marseilles  Stage 

Close  of  the  Wisconsin  Epoch 
Origin  of  the  Upland  Clay 

3 


4  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

History  of  the  Illinois  Valley 

Preglacial  Age  of  Part  of  the  Illinois 

Existence  of  the  Upper  Illinois  Valley  during  the  Ice  Age 

Nature  of  Glacial  Drainage 

Deposition  of  the  High-Level  Gravels 
The  Last  Deposits  by  Glacial  Waters 
Outlet  River 

Postglacial  Changes  and  Present  Conditions 
Shifting  of  Dust  and  Sand 
Leaching  and  Deposition  by  Ground  Water 
Springs  and  Flowing  Wells 
Weathering  and  Slumping 
Growth  of  Valleys 
Man  an  Agent  of  Erosion 


EXPLORATION,  SETTLEMENT,  AND  DEVELOPMENT 
OF  THE  REGION 

The  French  Colonial  Empire 
Discoveries  in  the  West 
The  Mission  at  Kaskaskia 
La  Salle  and  His  Projects 

La  Salle  and  the  Period  of  Reconnaissance 

The  Plan  of  a  Base  on  the  Illinois 

Fort  St.  Louis  des  Illinois 

Agriculture  at  Fort  St.  Louis 

Resources  of  the  Region  as  Viewed  by  the  French 

Fate  of  St.  Louis  des  Illinois 

Indian  Tribes  and  Their  Life 

Characteristics  and  Customs  of  the  Illinois 

Occupations 

The  Illinois  Town  Kaskaskia 

The  Fate  of  the  Illinois— Starved  Rock 

Permanent  Settlement  of  the  Illinois  Valley 
Pioneers  from  the  South 
Influx  of  Northern  Settlers 
Conquest  of  the  Prairie 
Pioneer  Life 


GEOGRAPHY 

The  Demand  for  Improved  Communication 
Pioneer  Transportation 
"Boom  Days"  and  Their  Collapse 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 

Canal  Traffic 

Services  of  the  Canal 

Railroad  Competition  and  Decline  of  the  Canal 
Railroad  Construction 

Mines  and  Factories 
Coal  Mines 
Growth  of  Industries 

Starved  Rock  State  Park 


SURFACE  FEATURES  AND  THEIR  ORIGIN 

TOPOGRAPHY 

THE   ILLINOIS   RIVER 

From  the  earliest  days  Starved  Rock  has  been  the  best-known  feature 
of  the  Illinois  Valley.  History  and  legend  connect  it  with  the  Illinois 
Indians,  at  one  time  lords  of  the  stream  and  of  a  large  surrounding 
region.  French  adventurers,  using  the  Illinois  River  in  passing  between 
the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi  River,  early  admired  its  rugged 
charm  and  later  availed  themselves  of  its  strong  defenses.  Today  the 
old  trail  of  the  Illinois  has  become  a  great  highway,  used  by  an  ever- 
increasing  stream  of  visitors,  who  come  from  city  and  farm  to  Starved 
Rock,  now  included  in  a  park  belonging  to  the  people  of  Illinois. 

The  story  of  Starved  Rock  is  a  chapter  from  the  history  of  the  Illinois 
River.  It  had  its  origin  in  the  erosion  of  the  valley.  When  man  came 
to  the  Illinois  region.  Starved  Rock  became  a  landmark  in  the  history  of 
the  Illinois  basin.  In  relating  the  story  of  Starved  Rock  it  is  necessary, 
therefore,  to  take  into  account  the  larger  region  to  which  it  belongs. 

The  Illinois  River  system  drains  about  32,000  square  miles,  situated 
mostly  within  the  state  to  which  it  has  given  its  name.  From  the  place 
where  the  Kankakee  and  Des  Plaines  rivers  unite  to  form  its  beginning 
the  Illinois  flows  about  275  miles  to  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi. 
Approximately  42  miles  below  the  source  and  almost  opposite  the  village 
of  Utica  is  Starved  Rock.  A  few  miles  below,  the  Big  and  Little  Ver- 
milion rivers  join  the  Illinois.     Looking  upstream  from  Starved  Rock  a 


6  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

similar  feature,  Buffalo  Rock,  hides  from  sight  the  mouth  of  the  Fox 
River,  one  of  the  largest  and  longest  affluents  of  the  Illinois.  The  posi- 
tion of  Starved  Rock  in  the  Illinois  Valley  is  shown  in  Fig.  i. 

The  flow  of  the  upper  Illinois  River  is  disturbed  by  numerous  rapids. 
The  largest  of  these  is  at  Marseilles;  the  lowermost  is  at  the  base  of 
Starved  Rock.     From  its  source  to  Starved  Rock  the  river  has  a  fall  of 


ILL,  CENTRAL  I 


Fig.  I. — Map  showing  location  of  Starved  Rock  State  Park  and  principal  railroad 
lines  by  which  it  may  be  reached.  Starved  Rock  is  not  on  any  railroad  but  may  be 
reached  conveniently  from  the  Utica  station  of  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  R.R., 
from  which  it  is  nearly  three  miles  distant,  or  by  ferry  from  the  Starved  Rock  station 
of  the  Chicago,  Ottawa  &  Peoria  (electric)  R.R.  The  electric  line  has  frequent  service 
to  Ottawa,  La  Salle,  Princeton,  Bureau,  Streator,  and  Joliet,  and  enables  connections 
with  steam  railroads  at  these  points. 

47  . 2  feet,  or  more  than  13  inches  per  mile.  From  Starved  Rock  to  its 
mouth,  nearly  230  miles,  the  total  fall  of  the  river  is  only  27  .7  feet,  or 
less  than  i|  inches  per  mile.  Above  Starved  Rock  the  Illinois  in  its 
natural  condition  is  almost  without  value  for  navigation,  but  capable 
of  developing  valuable  power.  Below,  the  conditions  are  reversed,  and 
the  even,  gentle  current  has  long  been  made  to  bear  a  varied  traffic. 
The  head  of  practicable  navigation,  however,  has  not  been  at  Starved 
Rock,  but  at  La  Salle-Peru.     At  their  mouths  the  Vermilion  rivers  have 


GEOGRAPHY  7 

built  large  bars  out  into  the  Illinois,  and  these  have  proved  such  serious 
obstructions  that  ordinarily  boats  have  not  passed  above  them. 

Like  most  prairie  streams,  the  Illinois  has  a  very  uneven  flow.  The 
average  discharge  at  Starved  Rock  is  2,400  cubic  feet  per  second,  but  in 
summers  past  the  stream  has  often  dwindled  to  one-fourth  its  normal 
volume.  At  shoal  places  it  could  then  be  forded  easily.  At  such  times 
the  shrunken  river  became  fouled  with  the  sewage  of  upriver  towns.  At 
other  times  floods  swell  the  stream,  which  then  frequently  discharges 


ll'oodrnjff,  Chicago  Academy  of  Science \ 

Fig.  2. — -View  down  the  Illinois  Valley  from  Starved  Rock 

five  or  six  times  the  normal  volume  of  water.  Occasionally  a  great  flood 
inundates  all  the  low  bottoms  and  spreads  beyond  them.  Such  a  flood 
occurred  in  1892  when  93,600  cubic  feet  per  second  flowed  past  La  Salle. 
Fig.  2  is  a  view  down  the  Illinois  from  Starved  Rock  with  the  river  at 
normal  water  stage.  Fig.  3  was  taken  in  nearly  the  same  place  with  the 
stream  inundating  the  bottom  fields.  In  a  region  of  such  slight  relief 
this  inequality  of  flow  appears  at  first  sight  extraordinary ;  but  the  basin 
of  the  Illinois  is,  for  the  most  part,  without  the  natural  features  which 
arrest  run-off;  wooded  slopes  are  few,  and  most  of  the  land  is  cultivated. 
Corn  is  the  most  important  crop,  occupying  one- third  to  one-half  of 
all  farmed  land.  As  a  result  the  soil  cover  is  scanty  and  presents  few 
obstacles  to  the  run-off.  Again,  the  soil  and  subsoil  are  dominantly 
clayey,  and  into  such  material  rain  water  does  not  sink  readily.     Much 


8  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

of  it,  therefore,  flows  off  over  the  surface  and  quickly  gets  into  the 
streams.  In  winter  quantities  of  snow  and  ice  accumulate  and  in  many 
cases  melt  rapidly  at  the  approach  of  spring.  Rainfall  is  irregular  and 
often  comes  in  heavy  downpours.  All  of  these  factors  contribute  to  the 
uneven  flow  of  the  Illinois  River. 

Since  the  completion  of  Chicago's  drainage  canal,  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  water  has  been  diverted  from  Lake  Michigan  to  maintain  a  vigorous 
flow  in  the  Illinois  irrespective  of  variations  of  rainfall  and  of  run-off. 


Fig.  3. — View  down  the  Illinois  Valley  from  Starved  Rock  at  high  water 


FEATURES    OF    THE    ILLINOIS   VALLEY 

Starved  Rock  and  similar  features. — Within  the  valley,  between 
Ottawa  and  La  Salle,  are  a  number  of  rock  masses  almost  as  high  as  the 
river  bluffs  and  more  or  less  detached  from  them.  The  largest  of  these 
is  Buffalo  Rock,  several  miles  below  Ottawa.  Others  are  Starved  Rock 
and  Split  Rock  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley  near  La  Salle.  Of  these 
Starved  Rock  and  Buffalo  Rock  are  most  isolated.  Starved  Rock 
(Fig.  4)  juts  out  prominently  into  the  Illinois  River.  It  has  the  outline 
of  the  figure  8,  one  arc  forming  Starved  Rock  proper  and  the  other  eleva- 
tion lying  to  the  south,  separated  from  the  main  rock  by  a  low,  narrow 
saddle.  Fig.  5  shows  both  parts  of  Starved  Rock,  viewed  from  Lover's 
Leap.  The  sides  of  the  rock  (Fig.  4)  are  cliffs  of  bare  sandstone,  except 
where  crevices  and  narrow  ledges  have  permitted  a  bit  of  soil  to  accumu- 
late. In  such  places  and  on  the  top  of  the  rock  vegetation  has  gained  a 
foothold.  The  saddle  on  the  south  provides  easy  access  to  the  summit, 
but  at  other  places  it  may  be  scaled  only  with  difficulty. 


GEOGRAPHY  g 

Valley  floor. — No  point  of  vantage  affords  a  better  view  of  the  valley 
than  the  top  of  Starved  Rock.  From  here  the  broad  trough  of  the 
Illinois  may  be  seen  stretching  east  to  Buffalo  Rock  and  west  to  the 
smoke-dimmed  horizon  at  La  Salle  (Fig.  2).  The  valley  averages  a  mile 
to  a  mile  and  a  half  in  width.  Between  Ottawa  and  La  Salle  the  river 
flows  close  to  the  southern  side  of  its  valley,  except  near  Covel  Creek; 
most  of  the  valley  fiat  is  therefore  north  of  the  river.  In  the  stream 
there  lies  a  chain  of  narrow,  tree-bordered  islands,  subject  to  overflow 
and  of  high  fertility. 


Fig.  4. — Starved  Rock 


The  floor  of  the  valley  varies  greatly  both  in  the  nature  of  its  surface 
and  of  its  soil.  From  a  point  slightly  below  Utica  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river  the  valley  floor  is  in  general  a  flood-plain,  subject  to  overflow 
(Fig.  3)  and  still  largely  not  reclaimed.  Many  of  these  bottom  tracts 
are  permanently  wet  and  sloughs  are  numerous.  The  valley  above 
Utica  is  of  a  different  type.  Here  the  area  of  low  bottom  land  is  small 
and  is  confined  to  the  islands  and  to  a  narrow  strip  along  the  river. 
Opposite  Starved  Rock  there  is  such  a  stretch  of  fertile  flood-plain. 
Below  Starved  Rock  a  strip  of  low  or  "first  bottom"  land  lies  along  the 
south  bank  of  the  river  within  the  State  Park  and  surrounds  Starved 
Rock  and  Lost  "lakes."  Fig.  6  shows  the  contact  between  river  flood- 
plain  and  river  bluffs  and  at  the  right  a  portion  of  a  slough  bordered  by 


lO  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

willow,  ash,  and  elm.  The  view  is  taken  at  the  entrance  to  the  park. 
Most  of  the  valley  bottom  about  Starved  Rock  is  a  terrace  from  25  to  40 
feet  above  the  normal  level  of  the  river.  Its  surface  is  somewhat  uneven 
and  its  soils  diverse.  Deserted  river  channels  form  long  and  sinuous 
depressions,  in  which  the  material  may  range  from  silt  to  gravel. 
Between  the  depressions  are  short  ridges,  some  of  which  are  sandy  or 
gravelly,  while  others  consist  of  rock  thinly  veneered  with  soil.  The 
land  is  said  to  "lie  in  strip's,"  fields  of  high  fertility  being  adjacent  to 
rocky  pastures  that  produce  only  a  scant  growth  of  grass. 


Woodruff,  Chicago  Academy  of  Sciences 

Fig.  5. — Starved  Rock  from  the  landward  side, 
crags  and  oaks  on  the  slopes. 


Pines  occur  on  the  exposed 


Valley  slopes — bluffs. — As  one  approaches  Starved  Rock  from  either 
upstream  or  downstream  the  sides  of  the  valley  become  more  and  more 
steep.  From  the  head  of  the  Illinois  River  to  Starved  Rock  they 
increase  in  height  as  well.  The  city  of  Morris  is  in  a  low  basin,  with 
scarcely  perceptible  slopes;  at  Seneca  the  valley  has  well-defined  sides, 
which,  however,  are  sufficiently  gentle  to  be  used  for  pasturage;  near 
Ottawa  bed  rock  is  seen  only  here  and  there,  and  most  of  the  slope 
is  covered  with  timber.  Below  Ottawa  low  cliffs  appear  at  the  bases  of 
the  slopes,  and  these  become  higher  and  higher  downstream  until  at 
Starved  Rock  the  sides  of  the  valley  are  for  the  most  part  cliffs  of  rock. 
Fig.  7  shows  typical  cross-sections  of  the  upper  valley  at  the  four  principal 
cities.  Below  Starved  Rock  the  rock  cliffs  continue  at  about  the  same 
elevation  almost  to  the  Vermilion  rivers.     Here  they  are  replaced  rather 


GEOGRAPHY  il 

abruptly  by  slopes  which  are  still  steep  but  have  few  rock  outcrops 
(La  Salle  and  Peru  in  Fig.  7).  Well-defined  bluffs  of  rock  on  the  Illinois, 
therefore,  are  confined  to  a  narrow  belt  centering  about  Starved  Rock. 
This  changing  character  of  valley  slope  can  be  appreciated  best  by 
approaching  Starved  Rock  from  Ottawa  by  boat  or  by  following  the 
southern  bank  of  the  river.     The  latter  way  is  feasible  only  on  foot. 


Fig.  6. — Entrance  to  Starved  Rock  State  Park  from  Utica  bridge.  At  the  right 
is  a  portion  of  the  Illinois  f^ood-plain,  with  mesophytic  flood-plain  forest.  To  the 
left  are  pine-clad  bluffs. 


as  the  road  from  Ottawa  soon  turns  to  ascend  the  bluff,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  way  is  by  an  obscure  footpath.  In  this  manner,  however, 
the  gradual  crescendo  of  scenic  effects  is  best  appreciated  and  the  visitor's 
eye  prepared  for  the  climax  of  the  scenery  within  the  park. 

A  good  view  of  the  cliffs  across  the  valley  may  be  had  from  Starved 
Rock.  These,  however,  have  been  masked  to  a  considerable  extent 
by  the  accumulation  of  rock  debris,  whereas  the  southern  slopes  have 
cleaner  and  steeper  faces  because  the  river  washes  their  bases  and  has 


12  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

carried  away  the  detritus  which  otherwise  would  have  accumulated 
there.  Where  narrow  remnants  of  the  terrace  afford  room  for  tree 
growth  the  light-gray  cliffs  are  largely  screened  by  many  kinds  of  trees 
growing  hard  against  the  walls  of  rock  and  overhanging  the  river's  edge 
(Fig.  8).  At  other  places  the  nearly  bare  cliffs  rise  directly  above  the 
river  (Fig.  g). 

Tributary  valleys. — Like  their  main,  the  tributary  streams  in  the 
Starved  Rock  region  have  developed  sheer  rock  walls.  In  some  of  the 
smaller  valleys  the  height  of  the  cliffs  exceeds  the  width  of  the  valleys. 


Fig.  7. — Profiles  across  Illinois  Valley  at  various  places,  showing  changes  in 
nature  of  valley  sides. 


These  deep  and  gloomy  chasms  are  fitly  called  "canyons."  Most  of 
the  canyons  are  less  than  a  mile  long  and  contain  one  or  more  sharp, 
angular  bends,  as,  for  example,  Horseshoe  Canyon  (see  topographic  map). 
Usually  they  are  blunt-headed,  ending  in  falls  that  average  perhaps 
50  feet  in  height  (Fig.  10).  Above  the  falls  the  valley  typically  continues 
for  a  mile  or  more  as  a  shallow,  inconspicuous  "draw"  of  the  type  com- 
mon to  prairies. 

Viewed  from  within,  a  typical  canyon  shows  walls  of  crumbling 
crenulated  sandstone,  rising  vertically  (Fig.  11),  in  some  cases  overhang- 
ing (Fig.  12).  Within  their  shadows  dank,  underground  waters  drip 
from  mossy  crevices.  At  their  bases  loose  sand  has  accumulated  in 
quantity,  forming  in  many  places  a  pedestal  to  the  cliffs,  densely  covered 
with  shade-loving  vegetation  (Fig.  13).  The  gray,  fern-grown  cliffs 
most  commonly  inclose  a  narrow  strip  of  irregular  floor  with  miniature 


GEOGRAPHY  13 

pools  and  cascades  formed  by  a  brooklet  during  the  rainy  seasons 
(Fig.  13).  On  the  lower  parts  of  a  number  of  canyons  small  flood-plains 
are  forming  (Fig.  14).  At  times  ephemeral  waterfalls  exist  at  the  heads 
of  the  canyons,  but  much  of  the  year  the  canyons  are  dry  except  for  a 
few  pools.  From  above,  overhanging  trees  and  shrubs,  growing  at  the 
strongly  sun-lit  level  of  the  prairie,  look  down  into  the  deep  shade.     The 


Fig.  8. — View   upstream   from    Starved    Rock, 
forest,  with  pines  on  the  marginal  crags. 


A   representative   upland   oak 


sudden  turns  of  the  tortuous  gorges  disclose  to  the  visitor  ever-changing 
and  unexpected  views,  which  constitute  not  the  least  of  the  scenic 
charms  of  the  locality. 

Canyon  characteristics  are  also  well  developed  on  the  Vermilion 
rivers.  The  most  imposing  of  all  the  canyons  of  the  region.  Deer  Park 
Glen,  is  a  tributary  of  the  Big  Vermilion  River.  It  was  long  the  prop- 
erty of  the  late  Mr.  Matthiessen,  a  public-spirited  citizen  of  La  Salle, 
who  for  3^ears  permitted  the  public  to  enjoy  its  beauties  without  restraint. 


14  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Below  the  Vermilion  the  tributaries  again  become  wider  and  lose  in 
scenic  interest.  Similarly,  toward  Ottawa  there  is  a  gradual  decline  of 
canyon  characteristics,  corresponding  to  the  decrease  in  height  of  the 
rocky  bluffs  of  the  Illinois. 

THE    PRAIRIE 

All   diversified  features   of   the   river  valley,   bluffs,   and  canyons 
are  but  minor  irregularities  in  the  general  upland  prairie  surface.     For 


Fig.  g. — Lover's  Leap,  seen  from  the  water's  edge.     A  representative  habitat 
of  the  white  pine. 


scores  of  miles  around  Starved  Rock  the  great  prairie  plains  stretch  in 
all  directions.  The  surface  of  much  of  northern  Illinois  is  a  treeless, 
nearly  level  upland,  strikingly  undifferentiated.  In  this  surface  the 
upper  Illinois  Valley  is  a  relatively  narrow  trench,  and  the  valleys  of 
its  tributaries  are  even  smaller  notches. 

The  prairie  extends  literally  to  the  bluffs  of  the  valleys.  There  is 
scarcely  any  transition  zone.  Fertile  cornfields  may  reach  to  within  a 
half-dozen  steps  of  a  sheer  canyon  wall.  Near  the  Illinois  and  its  larger 
tributaries  the  prairies  are  gently  rolling.  At  a  distance  of  a  few  miles 
they  are  so  smooth  that  even  slight  swells  and  sags  are  hardly  noticeable. 


GEOGRAPHY 


15 


There  is  a  very  gradual  rise  of  surface  for  miles  away  from  the  river,  but 
it  is  too  slight  to  be  conspicuous.     On  the  prairie  the  horizon  is  a  circle, 


Fig.  10. — Head  of  Curtis  Canyon,  typical  of  smaller  canyons  in  Starved  Rock 
region. 


interrupted  only  where  a  line  of  trees  marks  a  watercourse  or  where  the 
ample  buildings  of  a  farm  are  outlined  against  the  sky. 


i6 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


ATTRACTIONS   OF   THE    STARVED   ROCK   REGION 

Visitors  come   to   Starved   Rock  for   diverse   reasons.     The  great 
majority,  however,  are  attracted  solely  by  its  scenic  features.     The 


Fig.  II. — View  out  of  French  Canyon.  The  lower  slopes  are  covered  with 
liverworts  and  mosses,  while  higher  up  are  mesophytic  ferns  and  seed-plants,  including 
the  3'ew  (on  wall  to  right). 


expansive  panorama  of  the  Illinois  Valley  is  enjoyed  from  the  summit 
of  the  rock  by  almost  every  visitor.     To  the  city  dweller  the  unspoiled 


GEOGRAPHY 


17 


natural  beauty  of  the  park  appeals  strongly.  Probably  the  principal 
charm  lies  in  the  sharp  and  unexpected  contrast  between  the  level  plains 
and  the  bare  cliffs  of  rock  that  form  the  buttressed  mass  of  Starved  Rock 
and  the  walls  of  the  narrow  canyons.     To  one  sated  with  the  wide  hori- 


FiG.  12. — Overhanging  side  wall  in  Atwood  Canyon,  the  so-called  Atwood  Cave. 
At  the  left  is  a  heap  of  sand  fallen  from  the  roof. 


zontal  vistas  of  the  prairies  the  narrowly  confined  spaces  of  the  canyons 
and  the  towering  walls  of  Starved  Rock,  surrounded  by  forest  trees, 
afford  a  gratifying  sense  of  change  and  relief.  For  the  visitor  who  has 
but  a  few  hours  at  his  disposal  there  is  enough  to  see  in  the  environs 


1 8  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

of  Starved  Rock  to  repay  a  visit;  for  him  who  comes  in  his  leisure 
time  scenic  charms  are  scattered  liberally  for  miles  along  the  Illinois 


irooc/ri0;  C/lHnj,'0  .had, 


Fig.  13.— Interior  of  French  Canyon.     At  the  base  of  the  clitfs  sufficient  sandy 
debris  has  accumulated  to  support  a  rich,  shade-loving  vegetation. 


and  Vermilion  rivers  and  invite  walks  that  may  be  extended  almost 
indefinitely. 


GEOGRAPHY  19 

INFLUENCE  OF  BED  ROCK  OxN  TOPOGRAPHY 
TOPOGRAPHIC   EXPRESSION   OF   THE   ANTICLINE 

Along  the  upper  Illinois  River  conspicuous  rock  cliffs,  canyons,  and 
other  large  outcrops  of  rock  are  confined  to  the  region  between  Ottawa 
and  La  Salle.  Contiguous  to  this  area  are  the  similar  features  of  the 
Vermilion  and  Fox  rivers.     The  only  other  region  of  similar  character 


Fig.  14. — Lower  end  of  French  Canyon,  with  beginning  of  iiood-plain  and  very 
richrnesophytic  vegetation. 

to  be  found  within  scores  of  miles  is  on  the  Rock  River  in  the  vicinity 
of  Dixon  and  Oregon.  The  peculiarly  restricted  distribution  of  these 
topographic  features  points  to  a  narrowly  localized  cause.  At  Starved 
Rock  and  Dixon  a  domed  or  anticlinal  structure  of  the  bed  rock  has 
brought  to  the  surface  rock  formations  that  in  other  parts  of  northern 
Illinois  are  deeply  buried.  Streams  have  cut  across  the  anticline  and 
have  sunk  their  channels  to  considerable  depths  into  the  older  formations. 
Some  of  these  rocks  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  give  rise  to  canyons  and 
cliffs  through  erosion. 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


ST.    PETER    SANDSTONE 


The  topography  most  typical  of  the  region  is  found  associated  espe- 
cially with  outcrops  of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone.  Starved  Rock  and  the 
adjacent  canyons  are  all  carved  out  of  this  formation.  The  gradual 
eastward  decline  of  the  bluffs  of  the  Illinois  corresponds,  in  a  general 
way,  to  the  dip  of  this  sandstone,  which  carries  its  top  beneath  the 
valley  a  short  distance  above  Ottawa. 

The  St.  Peter  formation  is  a  very  pure  sandstone  and  in  general 
but  little  cemented.     It  is  commonly  so  soft  as  to  be  workable  with  pick 

and    shovel.     The   workings 
r^Y      'f^f'/^^'  y^^  I     ^'"^   ^ot   dignified   with    the 

name    of    quarries,    but  are 
spoken    of   as  "sand    pits," 
numerously    represented    on 
the  northern  side  of  the  val- 
FiG.  15.— Development  of  valleys  in  St.  Peter      ley  along  the  railroad.     Were 
sandstone  as  contrasted  with  normal  develop-      all    of    the  formation  of    this 
ment.     An  early  stage  of  a  normal  valley  is  repre-      prevailing  type  and  without 
sented  by  a-a' ,  a  later  stage  by  h-V .     In  the  •  ^      ^  1       u 

e,    T.  .      r      \-  /  •    •,        any  resistant  rock  above  it 

bt.   Peter  formation    i-i     represents  a   similar  -^ 

early  stage;   2-2' a  later  form.  erosion    would    give    rise    to 

gentle  slopes.  Under  ordi- 
nary conditions  the  upper  part  of  a  slope  wears  back  more  rapidly  than 
the  lower,  and  valleys  grow  wider  as  time  goes  on.  This  normal  condi- 
tion holds  good  whether  the  material  is  soft  or  hard,  so  long  as  it  is  of 
uniform  resistance.  If  a-a!  (Fig.  15)  be  the  cross-section  of  a  valley  at 
a  given  period,  h-h'  should  represent  the  same  valley  at  a  later  stage. 
Locally,  however,  the  valleys  are  box-shaped  canyons  (i-i')  and  retain 
this  form  indefinitely  (2-2')  without  any  appreciable  reduction  in  the 
slope  of  their  sides. 

Lying  on  the  soft  sandstone  is  a  capping  layer  of  much  more  resistant 
rock.  This  is  the  more  firmly  cemented  upper  portion  of  the  St.  Peter 
sandstone,  or,  in  places,  a  thin  bed  of  hard  Trenton  limestone,  or  the 
basal  sandstone  of  the  "Coal  Measures."  The  combination  of  hard  cap 
rock  and  soft  underlying  bed  gives  the  most  favorable  condition  for  the 
development  of  cliffs.  In  Fig.  16,  a-a'  represents  an  assumed  original 
slope  before  erosion  commenced;  A  represents  the  "Coal  Measures" 
and  drift,  B  the  hard  cap  rock,  and  C  the  St.  Peter  sandstone.  The  soft 
sand  is  worn  away  readily  until  the  profile  h-h'  is  established.  Thereafter 
the  rate  of  erosion  of  the  softer  beds  is  controlled  by  the  rate  of  erosion 
of  the  cap  rock.     In  this  simple  statement  lies  the  complete  explanation 


GEOGRAPHY  21 

of  the  most  striking  scenic  features  of  the  region.  If  the  soft  beds  are 
undercut  by  a  stream  at  their  base,  or  if  they  are  sufficiently  weak  to 
weather  out  under  the  cap  rock,  as  shown  in  profile  c-c',  they  in  turn 
will  accelerate  the  wasting  of  the  cap  rock.  Overhanging  cliffs  of  the 
latter  sort  may  be  seen  in  many  of  the  canyons,  which  then  appear 
bottle-shaped  in  cross-section.  The  so-called  Atwood's  Cave  of  Fig.  12 
is  an  extreme  instance  of  overhang.  A  large  face  of  the  soft  sandstone 
is  shown,  the  friability  of  which  is  indicated  more  particularly  by  the 
great  heap  of  fallen  sand  at  the  left  of  the  view. 

The  conditions  of  Fig.  16  are  realized  most  readily  when  'the  profile 
corresponds  to  the  bed  of  a  stream;  B  then  marks  the  top  of  a  fall,  such 


Fig.  16. — Development  of  cliff  face  through  capping  of  hard  stratum.  A  is 
glacial  drift  underlain  by  "Coal  Measures,"  B  the  hard  cap  rock,  and  C  the  main 
body  of  St.  Peter  sandstone.  The  line  a-a'  represents  an  assumed  original  slope; 
b-b'  and  c-c'  are  slopes  resulting  from  erosion. 


as  is  found  at  the  head  of  nearly  every  canyon.  As  these  falls  are  cut 
back  they  leave  canyon  walls  below  as  records  of  their  recession.  The 
canyons,  being  of  identical  origin,  are  all  very  similar  in  pattern,  differing 
chiefly  in  size. 

Wherever  a  cliff  of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  is  exposed  for  some  time 
it  becomes  unevenly  corrugated  (Figs.  9,  10,  11,  17).  Pitted  depres- 
sions alternate  with  narrow  ridges  (Fig.  17).  The  sandstone  is  thinly 
bedded,  and  weathering  is  often  most  rapid  along  bedding-planes,  causing 
them  to  form  recesses.  In  places  iron  oxide  has  been  introduced  at  the 
bedding-plane,  which  has  then  become  more  resistant  than  the  body  of 
the  rock  and  weathers  into  a  ridge.  Some  of  the  beds  of  the  sandstone 
are  less  cemented  than  others  and  waste  away  more  rapidly.  These 
contrasts  in  resistance  are  not  only  responsible  for  the  detailed  pattern 
of  the  cliffs  but  help  greatly  to  preserve  vertical  faces  in  the  rock. 


22  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Fig.  1 8  shows  numerous  cuplike  depressions  in  a  clifif  at  Deer  Park 
Glen.  They  are  arranged  like  a  series  of  potholes,  but  are  caused  by 
differential  weathering.     These  recesses  form  both  a  horizontal  and  a 


Fig.  17. — The  Devil's  Nose  at  Starved  Rock,  showing  sandstone  cliff  as  corrugated 
by  weathering. 


vertical  series.  Their  horizontal  alignment  is  caused  by  the  weathering 
out  of  a  soft  bed  between  harder  layers.  The  vertical  arrangement 
marks  the  position  of  joint  planes  (nearly  vertical  fissures)  which  are 
zones  of  weakness  in  the  rock. 


GEOGRAPHY 


23 


The  St.  Peter  sandstone  is  fissured  extensively  by  joints  that  inter- 
sect each  other  in  vertical  planes.  The  most  prominent  of  these  joint 
planes  are  nearly  at  right  angles  to  each  other.  In  the  stresses  to  which 
the  region  has  been  subjected  during  its  geologic  past  the  St.  Peter 
formation  seems  to  have  cracked  more  as  a  rule  than  the  more  compact 
rocks.     Every  joint  plane  thus  formed  is  a  favored  line  of  attack  for 


Fig.  18. — Pitted  sides  of  canyon  o[  Deer  Park  Glen 


the  agencies  of  erosion.  Joints  have  hastened  the  wearing  back  of  the 
canyons  and  to  a  large  extent  have  given  direction  to  their  courses.  At 
the  head  of  Horseshoe  Canyon,  for  example,  are  such  joints,  along  which 
the  stream  is  working  its  way  back.  One  of  these  is  shown  in  Fig.  19. 
The  rectangular  turns  of  some  of  the  canyons,  as  of  Horseshoe  and  of 
Deer  Park,  appear  to  have  been  caused  by  the  intersection  of  two  sets 
of  joint  planes,  as  a  result  of  which  the  streams,  in  their  erosion  head- 
ward,  have  been  turned  aside  by  the  more  open  fissures. 


24 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


Starved  Rock  and  the  other  outlying  rock  masses  find  their  explana- 
tion in  the  influences  of  joint  planes  on  erosion.  These  "rocks"  were 
at  one  time  part  of  the  general  upland.     The  processes  by  which  they 


C.  D.  Fuller 

Fig.  19. — Horseshoe  Canyon,  showing  recession  of  canyons  along  joint  planes 

may  have  been  detached  from  the  bluffs  include  the  following: 
{a)  Weathering  may  have  widened  joint  planes  and  thus  formed  recesses 
similar  to  the  example  cited  above  at  Deer  Park  Glen,  {h)  The  river, 
flowing  along  the  base  of  a  cliff,  would  tend  to  cut  into  the  cliff  at  joints 


GEOGRAPHY  25 

and  thus  form  re-entrants,  (c)  Glacial  stream  gravels  are  found  along 
the  valley  on  the  tops  of  the  bluffs.  It  is  known  therefore  that  during 
some  part  of  the  Ice  Age  a  river  flowed  at  the  summit  level  of  Starved 
and  Buffalo  rocks.  This  river  in  time  may  have  cut  down  several 
channels  along  joints,  some  of  which  were  abandoned  later.  On  this 
theory  the  rock  masses  for  a  time  may  have  formed  true  islands. 
(d)  Glacial  erosion  aided  in  forming  the  Ilhnois  Valley.  The  ice  moved 
in  a  direction  parallel  to  the  valley  and  may  have  aided  in  the  excavation 
of  the  depressions  which  separate  the  "rocks"  from  the  main  upland. 
Small  bodies  of  rock  may  become  detached  from  their  surVoundings 
simply  by  weathering  along  joint  planes;  Pulpit  Rock,  above  Lover's 
Leap,  probably  originated  in  this  way.  Weathering  alone  may  have 
been  responsible  as  well  for  the  forming  of  Split  Rock  near  La  Salle  and 
of  the  detached  rock  mass  near  the  west  end  of  Buffalo  Rock.  The 
other  rock  masses,  however,  probably  are  not  to  be  explained  in  this  way. 
To  their  development  some  and  perhaps  all  of  the  other  processes  men- 
tioned have  contributed. 

The  rock  masses  have  retained  their  castellated  forms  most  con- 
spicuously where  their  bases  are  washed  by  the  river,  as  is  the  case  with 
the  northern  base  of  Starved  Rock  and  Lover's  Leap.  Here  ttie  river 
not  only  carries  away  the  detritus  from  the  cliffs  but  is  undercutting 
actively  along  softer  layers  (Figs.  4,  9). 

PRAIRIE   DU   CHIEN    (lOWER   MAGNESIAn)    LIMESTONE 

The  principal  outcrops  of  the  Prairie  du  Chien  limestone  are  north 
of  the  river,  below  Utica.  Here  to  a  lesser  extent  than  in  the  St.  Peter 
sandstone  canyons  have  been  formed  which  resemble  those  about 
Starved  Rock.  The  principal  gorge  in  this  formation  is  that  of  Pecum- 
saugan  Creek,  with  a  depth  of  more  than  80  feet.  Here  beds  of  hard 
limestone,  of  chert,  and  of  clay  and  shale  alternate  irregularly.  These 
various  layers  offer  widely  differing  resistance  to  erosion,  with  a  resultant 
tendency  to  develop  cliffs  wherever  an  incision  of  some  depth  has  been 
made. 

The  massive  magnesian  limestone  beds,  where  not  weakened  by  the 
outcrop  of  softer  beds  beneath  them,  withstand  erosion  perhaps  better 
than  any  of  the  other  rocks  of  the  region.  This  formation  outcrops  at 
many  places  in  the  valley  at  Utica  as  well  as  on  the  upland  to  the  north. 
In  both  of  these  localities  low  but  well-defined  knobs  record  its  successful 
resistance  to  degradation. 


26  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

LA  SALLE    LIMESTONE 

The  La  Salle  limestone  outcrops  in  this  vicinity  only  on  the  western 
flank  of  the  anticline,  that  is,  along  the  Vermilion  rivers.  Here  it  has 
been  a  factor  in  the  development  of  gorges.  Bailey's  Falls,  the  most 
notable  of  the  region,  have  been  formed  on  this  limestone.  The  falls 
are  located  on  Bailey's  Creek,  across  the  river  from  Deer  Park  Glen, 
and  some  distance  upstream.  The  falls  are  caused  by  a  somewhat  shah- 
limestone,  which  underlies  a  purer,  harder,  and  more  massive  bed  of  the 
same  formation. 

BEGINNING  OF  THE  PHYSIOGRAPHIC  RECORD 
BURIED   SURFACE   OF   THE   BED   ROCK 

Rock  ledges  are  to  be  seen  locally  only  along  the  larger  valleys. 
Beneath  the  prairies  the  bed  rock  lies  many  feet  underground.  Over  it 
is  a  cover  of  clay,  sand,  and  gravel,  which  in  many  places  is  more  than 
200  feet  thick.  Even  along  the  valleys  the  lower  slopes  only,*  as  a  rule, 
disclose  ledges  of  rock.  From  the  meager  information  available  con- 
cerning the  surface  of  the  bed  rock  we  know  that  in  it  are  many  depres- 
sions of  great  depth  and  length  (buried  valleys),  and  that  its  highest 
elevations  have  a  nearly  uniform  level.  If  all  the  clay,  sand,  and  gravel 
could  be  stripped  from  the  surface,  there  would  be  uncovered  a  country 
of  even-crested  ridges  and  deep  valleys,  which  would  bear  in  general  no 
resemblance  to  the  present  surface. 

THE   PENEPLAIN 

Viewed  from  Starved  Rock  the  bluffs  on  all  sides  (Fig.  2)  show  a 
remarkably  even  sky  line.  They  are  made  up  almost  entirely  of  bedded 
rock,  covered  by  only  a  thin  layer  of  loose  material.  If  all  the  rock 
outcrops  along  the  valley  are  examined  for  some  distance  above  and 
below  Starved  Rook,  their  maximum  elevation  will  be  found  at  about 
600  feet  above  sea-level.  Across  the  whole  width  of  the  anticline  the 
bed-rock  surface  stretches  at  this  nearly  uniform  elevation  across  rock 
formations  differing  widely  in  resistance  to  erosion.  In  so  far  as  we  can 
judge  from  well  records  on  the  prairie  the  rock  surface  is  similar.  This 
old,  buried  rock  surface,  the  crests  of  which  have  a  nearly  uniform  ele- 
vation, is  called  a  peneplain. 

DEPRESSIONS   IN   THE   BED   ROCK 

Here  and  there  along  the  larger  valleys  rock  outcrops  are  wanting. 
Similarly,  in  places  on  the  prairie,  well  records  show  that  the  bed  rock 
lies  at  depths  far  greater  than  the  average.     Although  no  adequate 


GEOGRAPHY  27 

reconstruction  of  these  depressions  is  possible  at  present,  fragmental 
records  of  a  few  of  them  have  been  compiled.  South  of  Starved  Rock, 
for  example,  such  a  depression  in  the  surface  of  the  bed  rock,  now 
filled  with  drift,  can  be  traced  for  at  least  10  miles  and  apparently  is 
comparable  in  depth  and  width  to  the  present  Illinois  Valley.  This 
depression  is  not  visible  from  the  surface  except  near  Lowell,  and  is 
known  only  from  the  records  of  deep  wells  and  other  drillings.  Farther 
west,  at  Princeton,  is  a  buried  valley,  perhaps  as  large  as  that  of  the 
Mississippi.  , 

HISTORY    OF    THE    SURFACE    OF    THE    BED   ROCK 

Between  the  formation  of  the  last  bedded  rocks  and  the  deposition 
of  the  loose  surface  materials  there  was  an  interval  of  time  which  must 
be  reckoned  by  millions  of  years.  The  bedded  rocks  were  laid  down  far 
back  in  the  earth's  history;  the  surface  materials  date  back  only  to  the 
yesterday*  of  geology.  The  character  of  the  rock  surface  is  the  only 
record  we  have  here  of  the  events  that  came  between. 

The  rock  formations  beveled  off  by  the  peneplain  include  the  soft 
St.  Peter  sandstone  and  the  "Coal  Measures"  clays  and  shales,  as  well 
as  the  resistant  Prairie  du  Chien,  Trenton,  and  La  Salle  limestones. 
Some  of  these  beds  waste  away  much  more  readily  than  others.  After 
a  time  valleys  are  formed  in  the  softer  rocks  while  the  outcrops  of  the 
harder  ones  constitute  ridges.  This  differentiation  continues  until  the 
weaker  rocks  are  worn  as  low  as  water  can  bring  them.  At  that  time 
the  resistant  ridges  have  their  maximum  relief.  But  they  too  are  exposed 
to  the  attack  of  weathering  and  erosion.  Little  by  little  they  are  reduced, 
until  finally  they  are  brought  to  the  low  level  of  the  softer  formations. 
When  resistant  as  well  as  weak  rocks  have  been  worn  as  low  as  running 
water  can  bring  them,  the  cycle  of  erosion  is  complete  and  the  entire 
region  is  reduced  to  a  low  level  called  base  level.  A  surface  that  ap- 
proaches base  level  is  a  peneplain.  The  peneplained  surface  of  the 
La  Salle  anticline  is  the  end  product  of  a  long-continued  period  of  erosion 
in  which  inequalities  of  resistance  were  obliterated.  Hills  had  virtually 
disappeared,  and  a  monotonous  plain  extended  far  and  wide  irrespective 
of  the  kind  of  rock  beneath. 

After  peneplanation  an  uplift  of  the  land  quickened  the  flow  of  the 
streams,  and  they  again  set  to  work  cutting  down  their  channels.  Ero- 
sion seems  to  have  continued  long  enough  in  this  new  cycle  to  produce 
larger  and  more  numerous  valleys  than  those  of  the  present  surface  and 
was  arrested  by  the  invasion  of  the  great  continental  glacier,  which 
buried  the  old  surface  beneath  its  deposits  of  drift. 


28  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

DRIFT 

The  mantle  of  loose  material  that  conceals  the  rock  is  made  up  of 
deposits  resulting  from  glaciation,  known  collectively  as  drift.  Its 
thickness  is  independent  of  the  bed-rock  surface  and  is  subject  to  great 
variations.  Within  the  limits  of  the  park  it  is  at  most  only  a  few  feet 
in  thickness.  On  the  prairies  of  La  Salle  County  its  average  thickness 
is  more  than  50  feet.  In  Miller  Township,  north  of  the  river,  it  reaches 
250  feet,  and  near  Princeton  its  thickness  locally  exceeds  300  feet. 

COMPOSITION 

Till. — By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  local  drift  is  clayey  matter, 
mixed  with  stones  of  many  sizes  and  with  minor  quantities  of  sand. 
This  is  till  or  bowlder  clay.  The  clayey  matter  is  rock  flour,  composed 
of  fine  particles  of  ground-up  rock.  Its  composition  is  most  varied, 
being  determined  by  the  composition  of  the  rock  formations  from  which 
it  was  derived.  The  materials  that  compose  the  till  are  entirely  un- 
assorted— sand,  small  pebbles,  and  larger  bowlders  are  scattered  indis- 
criminately through  a  matrix  of  clay.  The  till  here  is  more  clayey  and 
less  stony  than  that  of  Wisconsin  and  of  New  England.  Many  of  the 
stones  are  much  larger  than  a  man's  head,  and  here  and  there  one  several 
tons  in  weight  has  been  exposed  in  the  bed  of  a  stream.  At  Ottawa  a 
bowlder  of  unusual  size  commemorates  the  local  Lincoln-Douglas  debate. 
Other  large  bowlders  may  be  seen  in  the  bed  of  the  Big  Vermilion  River. 

Most  of  the  bowlders  of  the  till  are  of  limestone  of  local  origin. 
One  reason  for  this  is  that  there  are  probably  more  outcrops  of  limestone 
near  by  than  of  all  other  kinds  of  rock.  Another  is  that  the  sandstones 
and  shales  of  the  region  are  too  frail  to  have  withstood  the  tremendous 
milling  to  which  the  ice  subjected  its  material.  A  goodly  minority  of 
the  rocks,  however,  are  of  igneous  or  metamorphic  origin,  schists,  trap 
rock,  gabbro,  and  granite,  which  are  strangers  to  this  country.  The 
nearest  place  from  which  they  could  have  been  derived  is  northern  Wis- 
consin, and  some  of  them  came  from  Canada. 

The  stones  of  the  drift  which  have  broken  surfaces  and  jagged  edges 
are  rock  fragments,  which  were  torn  up,  carried  a  short  distance,  and 
then  dropped.  Their  stay  in  the  ice  was  brief.  To  this  type  belong 
most  of  the  bits  of  sandstone  and  shale  found  in  the  drift.  Much  more 
numerous  are  the  bowlders  that  have  been  worn  and  smoothed  to  some 
extent.  Most  typical  of  glacial  conditions  are  the  bowlders  of  sub- 
angular  form,  whose  sides,  or  some  of  them,  have  been  worn  flat,  and 


GEOGRAPHY  29 

upon  which  scratches  or  striae  have  been  graved.  In  many  cases  these 
stones  are  also  more  or  less  polished  by  the  ice.  These  subangular 
bowlders  are  almost  invariably  of  hard  rock,  such  as  compact  limestone 
or  some  sort  of  igneous  rock. 

Because  the  drift  cover  along  the  margins  of  the  Illinois  Valley  is 
thin,  good  exposures  of  till  near  Starved  Rock  are  not  abundant.  Banks 
of  it  may  be  seen  along  the  courses  of  the  tributary  streams  above  the 
canyons,  as  above  Horseshoe  Canyon  and  on  the  road  between  Starved 
Rock  and  Deer  Park. 

Stratified  drift. — Stratified  drift  consists  of  materials  assorted  accord- 
ing to  size  and  deposited  in  more  or  less  definite  layers.  Gravel  is  by 
far  the  most  abundant  material  of  the  stratified  drift,  but  there  are  many 
beds  of  coarse  sand.  Silt  and  clay  are  rare  in  this  region.  These  strati- 
fied deposits  are  only  indirectly  of  glacial  origin;  they  are  water-laid 
deposits,  carried  out  from  the  ice  front  and  deposited  by  water  formed 
by  the  melting  of  glacial  ice.  Most  of  the  constituent  elements  of  the 
gravel  and  sand  are  subangular  and  show  little  trace  of  wear  by  water. 
They  were  washed  out  from  the  edge  of  the  ice  by  streams  and  deposited 
near  by.  These  outwash  materials  are  in  rather  regular  beds  of  limited 
extent.  Along  the  Illinois  Valley  they  range  from  20  to  60  feet  m  thick- 
ness. The  stratified  drift  is  found  principally  along  the  margins  of  the 
Illinois  Valley  and  the  larger  tributaries,  such  as  the  Big  Vermilion.  Its 
position  is  on  the  valley  sides  high  above  the  valley  floor,  in  some 
instances  extending  to  the  level  of  the  upland  adjacent  to  the  valley. 
Such  high-level  deposits  are  numerous  north  of  the  river  east  of  Utica. 
A  bed  of  this  type,  chiefly  gravel,  lies  on  the  bluff  east  of  Horseshoe 
Canyon  (Parkman  Plain). 

Except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  valleys  stratified  drift  is  not 
common  at  the  surface.  On  the  prairies  much  gravel  and  sand  are  buried 
in  the  till,  forming  lens-shaped  masses  in  it.  Most  of  them  are  of  small 
areal  extent  and  not  more  than  a  few  feet  in  thickness,  but  they  are 
important  as  water  reservoirs  for  farm  wells,  as  in  the  case  of  prairie 
farms  south  of  the  park. 

Upland  clay. — On  the  upland  most  of  the  soil  is  formed  neither  from 
the  till  nor  from  the  stratified  drift,  but  from  a  peculiar  clay  which  may 
be  called  the  ''upland  clay"  and  which  overlies  the  normal  drift.  It  is 
not  a  striking  feature  and  escapes  attention  readily;  yet  it  is  of  greater 
direct  importance  to  the  prairie  farmer  than  any  other  deposit.  It 
averages  a  little  more  than  3  feet  in  thickness.  Its  limits  are  not  defined 
sharply,  but  it  is  confined  to  the  upland.     It  overlies  bed  rock,  till,  and 


30  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Stratified  drift  indiscriminately,  almost  everywhere  with  a  well-defined 
contact.  It  lies  over  all  the  prairie  south  of  Starved  Rock,  on  the  sand- 
stone of  the  valley  blufifs,  and  possibly  forms  even  the  thin  cap  of  soil 
that  supports  the  vegetation  on  Starved  Rock.  Whatever  the  material 
beneath,  the  character  of  the  upland  clay  remains  nearly  the  same.  Its 
color  in  most  places  is  brown,  and  its  texture  in  general  very  fine  and 
even.  The  only  rocks  found  in  it  are  bits  of  chert.  On  weathering,  it 
forms  a  heavy,  clayey  soil  of  high  fertility.  Its  probable  origin  is  dis- 
cussed on  page  34. 

DRIFT   TOPOGRAPHY 

The  prairie  derives  its  topographic  character  wholly  from  the  drift. 
As  the  ice  spread  its  deposits  so  they  remain,  in  the  main,  to  this  day. 
For  the  most  part  the  surface  discloses  no  hint  of  the  rock  surface 
beneath.  The  prairie  of  La  Salle  County  is  a  part  of  the  typical  till  plain 
or  ground  moraine  of  north-central  Illinois.  It  is  so  nearly  level  that  it 
can  scarcely  be  called  undulating.  Compared  with  the  ground  moraines 
of  more  northerly  regions  it  has  little  topographic  expression.  Here  and 
there  it  is  crossed  by  long  ridges  of  drift  called  terminal  moraines,  which 
rise  a  hundred  feet  or  more  above  the  surrounding  plain  and  in  this 
region  extend  nearly  north  and  south.  Such  terminal  moraines  are  Farm 
Ridge,  which  flanks  the  east  slope  of  Vermilion  Valley  south  of 
Starved  Rock,  and  the  Marseilles  moraine,  crossing  the  Illinois  Valley 
between  Marseilles  and  Ottawa.  These  terminal  moraines  are  so  wide 
and  their  slopes  so  gentle  that  they  are  not  very  conspicuous  as  ridges. 

THE  ICE  AGE  IN  NORTHERN  ILLINOIS 
WORK   OF   THE   ICE — EROSION 

During  the  last  geologic  epoch  ice  sheets  of  continental  proportions 
formed  in  northern  districts.  From  these  centers  ice  sheets  spread  in  all 
directions.  A  great  body  of  ice  moved  south  through  the  depressions 
now  occupied  by  Lake  Michigan  and  covered  the  greater  part  of  Illinois. 
By  this  ice  sheet  the  former  surface  about  Starved  Rock  as  well  as  a 
much  larger  area  surrounding  was  buried. 

The  ice  in  its  advance  incorporated  into  its  bottom  loose  materials 
and  broke  off  fragments  from  projecting  ledges  of  rock.  In  places  where 
it  passed  over  rocky  hills  it  quarried  out  large  quantities  of  rock.  Still 
other  material  was  taken  into  the  ice  as  the  glacier  froze  to  it.  The 
load  which  it  thus  secured  the  ice  carried  on  by  stages,  and  gradually 
ground  it  to  powder.     Only  the  hardest  rocks  survived  a  long  journey, 


GEOGRAPHY  31 

such  as  that  from  Canada  to  the  IlUnois  Valley.  The  weaker  rocks  were 
crushed  to  bits  if  exposed  long  to  glacial  wear. 

In  some  sections,  as  in  northern  Wisconsin,  New  England,  and 
Canada,  knobs  of  bare  rock,  rounded  and  smoothed,  illustrate  the  wearing 
down  of  hills  by  glacial  erosion.  In  most  prairie  regions  these  features 
are  wanting.  The  amount  of  erosion  may  have  been  great,  but  its  effects 
have  been  concealed  by  the  heavy  mantle  of  drift  which  the  ice  left. 
Northwest  of  Utica  rock  knolls  similar  to  those  of  higher  latitudes  are 
reproduced  in  miniature.  Her^,  at  the  outcrop  of  the  Prairie  du  Chien 
limestone  on  the  bluffs,  there  are  rounded  bosses  of  rock  smoothed  by  ice. 

The  ice  stripped  off  almost  all  of  the  old  soil,  subsoil,  and  weathered 
rock  which  it  encountered  and  even  removed  much  fresh  rock.  Only 
in  unusually  well-sheltered  places,  as  in  narrow  preglacial  depressions, 
did  remnants  of  the  old  mantle  rock  escape  erosion.  In  hard  rock  the 
contact  between  the  glacial  drift  and  the  underlying  rock  is  sharp  and 
the  rock  beneath  is  unweathered.  In  soft  rock  the  contact  is  indistinct. 
On  the  bluff  directly  above  the  Utica  bridge  are  clay  pits  in  which 
"Coal  Measures"  clays  and  coal  have  been  plowed  into  by  the  ice  and 
mixed  in  confused  fashion  with  glacial  materials.  Most  likely  the  ice 
ground  up  and  removed  a  much  greater  thickness  of  solid  rock  than  of 
loose  mantle  rock.  The  average  thickness  of  the  drift  cover  is  about 
50  feet.  At  least  nine-tenths  of  this  is  of  nearby  origin,  virtually  all  of 
it  formed  by  the  grinding  up  of  unweathered  rocks.  Something  like 
50  feet  of  bed  rock,  therefore,  must  have  been  worn  away  on  the  average. 
It  is  possible  that  this  estimate  of  the  amount  of  erosion  is  short  of  the 
fact  rather  than  beyond  it,  as  the  average  thickness  of  the  drift  both 
north  and'  south  of  the  Illinois  is  much  greater  than  in  this  immediate 
vicinity  and  represents  the  grinding  up  of  even  greater  thicknesses  of 
rock. 

Scratches  and  grooves  on  bed  rock  near  the  head  of  the  Illinois 
Valley  show  that  the  direction  of  ice  movement  was  approximately 
parallel  to  the  valley.  The  valley  was  probably  both  deepened  and 
widened  by  the  ice  which  moved  westward  through  it. 

WORK   OF   THE   ICE — DEPOSITION 

The  ice  did  not  transport  its  load  of  debris  continuously  over  a  great 
distance.  Most  of  the  material  was  dragged  along  in  the  base  of  the 
glacier,  where  melting  was  more  or  less  constant.  Debris  probably  was 
being  dropped  at  all  times.  Much  of  it  was  picked  up  again  and  carried 
forward  until  it  found  a  more  or  less  permanent  resting-place  at  the  ice 


32 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


front  where  all  the  ice  melted,  with  the  result  that  its  entire  load  was 
dropped.  When  the  edge  of  the  ice  remained  nearly  stationary  for  a 
long  time,  well-marked  ridges  or  terminal  moraines  were  formed  of  debris 
accumulated  beneath  it  (Fig.  20).  In  times  of  decadence  the  ice  edge 
retreated  and,  if  its  recession  was  fairly  uniform,  spread  its  deposits  in 
the  form  of  ground  moraine.  From  place  to  place  the  quantity  of  till 
deposited  varied,  so  that  the  surface  formed  was  not  even  but  consisted 
in  general  of  swells  where  deposition  was  heavy  and  of  sags  where  it  was 
less  in  amount. 


Morainic  ridges 

Principal  areas 
overspread  by 
glacial  outwash 


.■■l//er  l.everctt 

Fig.  2c. — Relation  of  Starved  Rock  to  leading  glacial  features  of  northern  Illinois 

The  melting  of  the  ice  produced  vast  quantities  of  water  that  spread 
beyond  the  ice  margin  as  slope  wash,  or  was  gathered  into  rivers,  ponds, 
or  lakes.  All  of  these  things  happened  locally,  but  in  this  region  glacial 
streams  were  most  important.  They  carried  great  quantities  of  drift 
beyond  the  edge  of  the  ice.  Where  their  flow  was  most  vigorous  only 
gravel  was  deposited  and  the  sand  and  clay  were  swept  away.  Gravel 
deposits  are  typical  of  the  upper  Illinois  Valley,  which  was  the  line  of 
most  active  drainage. 


EARLY   INVASIONS    OF   THE   ICE 


From  facts  known  to  geologists  we  conclude  that  this  region  was 
covered  by  ice  at  least  three  times,  constituting  different  glacial  epochs, 
which  have  been  called  the  Kansan,  Illinoian,  and  Wisconsin.     To  find 


GEOGRAPHY  ^^ 

local  evidence  of  the  older  glaciations  is,  however,  a  matter  of  some 
difficulty.  The  Wisconsin  ice  sheet,  which  covered  this  region  last, 
stripped  away  the  older  deposits  in  most  places  and,  melting,  left  a  cover 
of  its  own  drift. 

In  a  few  stream-cut  banks  there  may  be  seen,  lying  beneath  the  fresh 
surface  till,  another  till  of  strikingly  different  character.  The  older 
drift  is  thoroughly  weathered;  its  original  content  of  lime  carbonate 
has  been  leached  out  for  the  most  part;  the  bowlders  have  rotted  until 
they  crumble  at  a  blow;  and  its  ferruginous  material  has  ^-usted  and 
stained  the  whole  a  dirty  brown.  Here  and  there  the  older  till  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  younger  by  thick  beds  of  gravel,  sand,  or  siJt.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Starved  Rock  such  old  drift  is  found  abundantly  on  Cedar 
Creek  south  of  Peru  and  in  some  of  the  ravines  at  Marseilles. 

WISCONSIN    ICE   EPOCH 

The  drift  of  the  last  glacial  epoch  was  first  studied  and  identified 
in  Wisconsin,  and  hence  the  epoch  is  known  by  that  name.  The  ice 
sheets  of  this  epoch  were  the  chief  factors  in  shaping  the  surface  of  north- 
eastern Illinois.  The  local  evidence  points  to  three  substag^es,  char- 
acterized chiefly  by  differences  in  areal  distribution  and  in  the 
constitution  of  their  tills.  The  three  stages  are  connected  with  three 
terminal  moraines,  namely,  the  Bloomington,  the  Marseilles,  and  the 
Valparaiso  moraines.  Part  of  the  ground  moraine  also  can  be  assigned 
to  one  or  the  other  of  these  stages  (Fig.  20),  although  it  is  not  possible 
at  present  to  limit  definitely  the  areal  extent  of  the  deposits  of  any  of 
these  stages. 

Bloomington  stage. — Early  in  the  Wisconsin  glacial  epoch  a  lobe  of 
ice  moved  into  Illinois,  advancing  beyond  the  great  bend  of  the  Illinois 
River  southward  as  far  as  Bloomington.  Along  its  outer  margin  it 
built  up  a  massive  morainic  ridge,  the  Bloomington  terminal  moraine. 
There  followed  a  period  of  recession,  with  some  oscillation.  At  this 
time  a  sheet  of  till  was  spread  over  La  Salle  County,  which  forms  in  large 
part  the  ground  moraine  of  the  western  part  of  the  county,  including  the 
prairies  southwest  of  Starved  Rock. 

The  Bloomington  till  can  be  distinguished  by  its  bright  color,  com- 
monly pink  or  blue  in  the  region  under  consideration,  and  by  its  com- 
pactness, gritty  texture,  and  the  abundance  of  water-worn  gravel 
imbedded  in  the  clayey  parts  of  the  till.  The  compactness  seems  to  be 
the  result  of  pressure.  If  stones  are  removed  from  the  till,  they  leave  a 
perfect  mold  in  the  clay.     The  water-worn  pebbles  are  largely  chert. 


34  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Much  of  the  Bloomington  till  is  overlain  by  stratified  drift,  largely  silty, 
and  probably  deposited  in  ponded  water. 

Marseilles  stage. — The  Marseilles  stage,  distinctly  later  than  the 
deposits  of  the  Bloomington  till,  found  its  chief  expression  in  the  Mar- 
seilles moraine,  also  known  as  Mission  Ridge  and  the  Rutland  Hills, 
which  is  easily  the  largest  terminal  moraine  in  the  upper  Illinois  Valley. 
It  has  a  width  of  about  lo  miles  and  a  height  of  loo  to  125  feet.  It 
probably  does  not  mark  the  maximum  advance  of  the  ice  of  the  Marseilles 
stage,  but  it  marks  the  site  of  the  ice  edge  during  a  long  period.  Farm 
Ridge,  south  of  Starved  Rock,  probably  forms  the  extreme  limit  attained 
during  this  period  (Fig.  20).  It  is  an  incomplete  morainic  loop  attached 
to  the  Marseilles  moraine,  and  its  till  resembles  that  of  the  Marseilles 
terminal  moraine  more  than  it  does  the  till  of  the  adjacent  Bloomington 
ground  moraine.  The  Marseilles  till  is  distinguished  from  the  Bloom- 
ington till  by  its  less  bright  color,  the  smoother  texture  of  its  matrix,  the 
greater  number  of  striated  and  planed  bowlders,  and  more  numerous 
lenses  of  stratified  drift. 

Close  of  the  Wisconsin  epoch. — After  the  ice  which  formed  Farm 
Ridge  melted,  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock  probably  was  not 
again  covered  by  glacial  ice.  To  the  east,  however,  a  later  glacier  reached 
the  Illinois  Valley  at  Minooka.  It  formed  also  the  great  Valparaiso 
moraine  that  hems  in  the  basin  of  Lake  Michigan  and  marks  the  last 
glacial  invasion  of  Illinois. 

ORIGIN   OF   THE   UPLAND   CLAY 

A  short  distance  from  the  river  the  land  is  in  many  places  so  nearly 
level  that  the  eye  fails  to  detect  any  unevenness.  In  most  fields  no 
bowlders  are  to  be  seen.  Even  close  search  in  many  places  does  not 
reveal  a  single  stone  on  several  acres.  Yet  in  most  places  typical  till, 
rich  in  bowlders,  lies  at  the  depth  of  a  few  feet.  Most  glacial  soils  are 
at  least  moderately  stony,  and  few  glacial  surfaces  are  level.  In  both 
these  respects  the  region  dififers  from  most  glaciated  areas. 

The  anomaly  is  due  to  the  upland  clay  that  mantles  most  of  the 
prairie.  Its  origin  cannot  be  sought  in  a  single  cause.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  it  is  a  residual  clay,  formed  by  the  decay  of  till  and  of 
vegetation  and  added  to  by  burrowing  animals.  These  are  the  ordinary 
processes  by  which  soil  is  formed  from  drift.  The  upland  clay,  however, 
has  almost  invariably  a  sharp  contact  with  the  underlying  material,  and 
in  composition  it  is  almost  independent  of  the  formation  beneath  it. 
At  Utica  one  can  see  fertile  fields,  which  at  a  depth  of  a  few  feet  are  under- 


GEOGRAPHY  35 

lain  by  sandstone.  In  places  the  upland  clay  rests  directly  upon  gravel 
and  furnishes  a  soil  that  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  average  prairie 
land.  Evidently,  except  in  minor  part,  it  is  not  a  residual  product. 
For  the  most  part  it  is  probably  of  glacial  origin.  During  the  recession 
of  the  ice  great  quantities  of  water  were  formed.  Drainage  channels 
like  the  Illinois  took  care  of  much  of  this  water.  A  great  deal  of  it, 
however,  spread  in  sluggish  sheets  over  the  ground  moraine  of  the  prairie 
upland  and  there  formed  beds  of  mud.  Later  the  wind  shifted  about 
great  quantities  of  dust  on  the  bare  upland,  especially  from  the  heavily 
aggraded  valleys.  In  these  ways  a  clayey  deposit  was  formed  which 
masked  the  ground  moraine,  and  which  differs  sharply  in  physical  con- 
stitution from  the  true  glacial  drift,  and  has  but  ill-defined  limits  of 
distribution.  How  much  of  the  clay  was  deposited  by  sluggish  waters 
and  how  much  by  the  wind  is  unknown, 

HISTORY  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  VALLEY 
Enormous  quantities  of  water  were  formed  by  the  melting  of  the  ice 
sheets.     During  the  latter  part  of  the  Ice  Age,  at  the  least,  these  waters 
found  locally  a  line  of  discharge  down  the  Illinois  Valley,  which  in  part 
antedates  the  later  Ice  Age. 

PREGLACIAL  AGE   OF  PART   OF   THE   ILLINOIS   VALLEY 

The  course  of  the  Illinois  River  resembles  the  letter  L,  making 
a  nearly  rectangular  turn  at  Hennepin.  Below  this  bend  the  river  flows 
in  a  great  preglacial  valley  which  it  has  inherited  and  which  was  made  by 
a  master  stream,  probably  greater  than  the  present  Illinois  River. 
Above  the  bend  the  valley  is  much  younger.  It  is  narrower  and  much 
of  its  bottom  has  not  been  worn  down  to  base  level.  Four  possibihties 
are  to  be  considered  here :  {a)  The  present  river  has  occupied  the  valley 
of  a  preglacial  tributary  of  the  master  stream  referred  to  above;  {h)  it 
has  united  parts  of  preglacial  valleys;  (c)  it  formed  its  valley  during 
the  Ice  Age;  {d)  the  valley  is  of  postglacial  origin.  The  second  of  these 
hypotheses  seems  most  probable,  although  the  evidence  is  not  conclusive. 
The  alluvial  character  of  the  valley  bottom  below  Utica  and  in  the 
Morris  basin,  together  with  the  courses  of  buried  valleys,  give  at  least 
a  suggestion  of  such  origin.  On  this  hj^othesis  a  preglacial  divide 
possibly  was  located  near  Starved  Rock. 

EXISTENCE    OF   THE   UPPER   ILLINOIS    VALLEY   DURING   THE    ICE   AGE 

At  various  places  in  the  upper  Illinois  Valley  evidence  may  be  found 
indicating  its  existence  during  the  Ice  Age.     This  proof  is  of  varied 


36  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

nature  and  for  the  most  part  is  found  along  the  IHinois  above  Starved 
Rock.'  From  the  evidence  the  conclusion  may  be  drawn  that  the  upper 
valley  existed  almost  in  its  present  size  before  the  close  of  the  Ice  Age. 
Its  beginnings  therefore  were  probably  much  earlier 

There  are  indications  that  the  canyons  about  Starved  Rock  are  not 
wholly  of  postglacial  origin.  The  similar  canyon  of  Clark's  Run  at 
Utica  presents  clear  evidence  of  greater  age.  For  a  mile  back  from  the 
river  bluffs  its  canyon  is  aggraded  heavily  with  glacial  sands  and  gravels. 
The  road  leading  north  from  Utica  crosses  a  small  gravel  flat  at  the 
cemetery.  Farther  up  the  run  sand  and  gravel  conceal,  for  the  most 
part,  the  bluffs  of  sandstone.  About  a  mile  north  of  the  river  bluffs 
is  a  bed  of  stratified  drift  30  feet  thick,  reaching  from  the  top  of  the 
valley  to  within  25  feet  of  the  creek  bed.  It  consists  of  well-bedded 
deposits  that  lie  hard  against  a  sheer  rock  wall,  which  is  transverse  to  the 
direction  of  the  valley  and  probably  marks  an  old  fall — the  head  of 
Clark's  Run  at  the  time  of  the  filling  of  the  valley.  Up  to  this  point 
the  valley  antedates  the  last  ice.  From  this  point  to  the  head  of  the 
canyon  the  valley  is  narrow  and  the  sides  are  free  from  sand  or  gravely 
except  for  a  little  slumped  material.  The  unfilled  part  of  the  canyon  is 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  loiig  and  has  been  cut  since  the  date  of  glacial 
filling.  A  comparison  of  the  time  required  to  cut  the  lower  mile  of  the 
canyon,  which  must  antedate  the  Marseilles  stage  of  the  ice,  with  that 
for  the  quarter-mile  at  the  upper  end  throws  light  not  only  on  the  age 
of  the  valley  of  Clark's  Run  but  also  on  that  of  its  main. 

NATURE  OF    GLACIAL   DRAINAGE 

The  numerous  beds  of  stratified  drift  along  the  valley  attest  the 
importance  of  the  Illinois  Valley  as  a  line  of  glacial  drainage.  Some 
of  the  stratified  drift  is  buried  beneath  till  and  bears  evidence  of  much 
greater  age  than  the  till  above.  These  older  beds  form  an  obscure 
record  of  the  discharge  of  sediment-laden  waters  from  an  unidentified 
earlier  ice  sheet. 

Deposition  of  the  high-level  gravels. — On  Parkman  Plain,  within  the 
limits  of  Starved  Rock  Park,  is  a  bed  of  gravel  and  sand  more  than  a 
hundred  feet  above  river  level.  On  both  sides  of  the  valley  similar 
detached  beds  are  found  from  Ottawa  to  Hennepin.  The  material  is 
uniformly  coarse  and  virtually  as  angular  as  the  stones  and  sand  in  till. 
Associated  with  these  beds  is  a  remarkably  harmonious  filling  with  similar 

■  111.  Geol.  Surv.  Bull.  27,  pp.  89-99. 


GEOGRAPHY  37 

materials  of  the  lower  courses  of  a  number  of  tributary  valleys,  as  of 
Clark's  Run  and  the  Vermilion  rivers. 

The  fact  that  these  gravels,  extending  along  the  main  valley  from 
Ottawa  nearly  to  Hennepin,  as  well  as  along  the  lower  tributaries,  are 
nearly  uniform  in  coarseness  necessitates  the  conclusion  that  they  cannot 
have  been  carried  out  from  a  single,  nearly  stationary  ice  front,  such  as 
the  one  at  Marseilles.  In  that  case  the  deposits  would  grow  finer  and 
finer  downstream.  Apparently  they  were  deposited  at  the  front  of  the 
ice  sheet  as  it  retired  up  the  Illinois  Valley.  At  Starved  Rock  the  filling 
may  have  been  in  part  from  the  Marseilles  position  of  the  icfe  (Fig.  20), 
from  which  great  quantities  of  water  were  discharged,  probably  complet- 
ing the  task  of  aggrading  the  valley.  Subsequent  extremely  vigorous 
erosion  removed  the  greater  part  of  the  gravel  beds,  but  remnants 
abundant  enough  to  show  their  original  nature  still  exist. 

After  the  ice  of  the  Marseilles  stage  had  melted,  its  moraine  served 
for  a  time  as  a  dam  behind  which  a  large  temporary  lake  formed.  This 
lake  covered  the  Morris  basin  and  formed  there  thick  beds  of  fine  lake 
clays. 

The  last  deposits  by  glacial  waters. — Before  the  next  ice  sheet  invaded 
the  upper  Illinois  basin  the  dam  at  Marseilles  had  been  cut  through, 
so  that  the  waters  issuing  from  the  last  ice  sheet  discharged  freely  down 
the  Illinois  Valley.  Extensive  gravel  beds  accumulated  in  the  Fox  and 
Des  Plaines  valleys,  and  the  Morris  basin  was  aggraded  heavily  witH 
sand  and  fine  gravel.  At  Starved  Rock  outwash  of  this  period  has  not 
been  discovered.  Sedimentation  at  this  distance  from  the  ice  was 
undoubtedly  much  reduced.  The  material,  if  any  was  deposited  here, 
could  have  been  only  fine  sand  and  silt,  which  readily  lost  its  identity 
in  alluvial  deposits  of  later  date. 

Outlet  River. — After  making  the  Valparaiso  morainic  belt  the  last 
ice  sheet  retreated  northward  and  northeastward.  Between  its  edge  and 
the  moraines  a  lake,  the  direct  ancestor  of  Lake  Michigan,  was  formed. 
Back  of  this  morainic  dam  the  water  rose  until  it  overflowed  a  depression 
above  Lemont,  thence  it  discharged  down  a  trough  oetween  moraines, 
now  the  Des  Plaines  Valley,  and  thus  into  the  Illinois  Valley.  This 
glacial  spillway  was  the  Outlet  River  (Fig.  20). 

The  Outlet  River  had  a  large  volume  and  a  high  velocity.  During 
the  preceding  stage  the  Illinois  Valley  and  Des  Plaines  trough  had  been 
filled  with  sediments  to  a  large  extent.  To  excavate  a  channel  in  this 
valley  train  was  the  first  task  of  the  young  but  vigorous  stream.  In 
the  narrower  parts  of  the  valley  it  did  this  work  well,  leaving  only 


38  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

scattered  traces  of  the  outwash  deposits.  Beyond  this  its  work  seems 
to  have  resulted  in  deepening  the  valley,  probably  40  feet  or  less,  and  in 
widening  its  bottom.  The  scant  talus  and  the  general  absence  of  drift 
along  the  bluffs  indicate  that  they  may  have  been  trimmed  by  the 
stream.  Greater  results  probably  are  not  to  be  ascribed  to  the  Outlet 
River.  Its  career  was  spectacular  but  brief.  Large  streams  of  great 
volume  and  duration  discharged  through  this  valley  repeatedly  during 
the  Ice  Age.  These  streams,  ice  sheets,  and  probably  preglacial  and 
interglacial  streams  excavated  the  greater  part  of  the  upper  Illinois 
Valley.  The  Outlet  River  has  merely  impressed  upon  it  its  present 
form. 

With  the  continued  recession  of  the  ice  the  Great  Lakes  took  shape. 
After  a  time  outlets  to  the  east  were  uncovered  at  lower  elevations  than 
the  one  at  Chicago,  which  was  abandoned.  The  modern  Illinois  River 
was  then  formed  by  drainage  from  the  present  Kankakee  and  Des  Plaines 
rivers.  Recently  man  has  re-estabUshed  drainage  along  the  old  glacial 
outlet  by  cutting  the  Chicago  Drainage  Canal.  East  of  Lake  Michigan 
there  is  in  progress  a  warping  of  the  land,  which  it  is  estimated  would 
have  diverted  again,  in  the  course  of  several  thousand  years,  some  of 
the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  to  the  western  outlet  through  the  Illinois 
Valley. 

POSTGLACIAL  CHANGES  AND  PRESENT  CONDITIONS 

Since  the  close  of  the  Ice  Age  the  region  has  not  been  the  theater 
of  conspicuous  physiographic  events.  Its  surface,  however,  has  con- 
tinued to  be  modified  by  physical  processes  of  manifold  kinds. 

SHIFTING   OF   DUST   AND    SAND 

In  dry  summer  weather  high  winds  pick  up  much  dust  from  roadside 
and  field  and  scatter  it  far  and  wide.  The  amount  thus  shifted  is  large 
and  tends  to  produce  uniformity  of  soils.  On  the  floor  of  the  valley, 
between  Ottawa  and  Armstrong  Brook,  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  park, 
there  are  numerous  low  ridges,  designated  "islands"  by  the  farmers. 
They  are  composed  of  sandstone,  veneered  with  wind-blown  sand.  The 
land  around  them  is  gravelly.  The  coating  of  these  "islands"  has  been 
derived  in  large  part  from  sand  which  is  mixed  with  the  gravel.  On 
the  western  end  of  Buffalo  Rock  are  a  number  of  small  ridges  of  sand 
10  to  15  feet  high.  Their  present  form,  at  least,  is  the  result  of  wind 
work. 


GEOGRAPHY 


39 


LEACHING   AND   DEPOSITION   BY   GROUND   WATER 

Underground  water  flows  off  as  surface  water  does,  only  much 
more  slowly.  Because  of  its  intimate  contact  with  rock  surfaces  and 
because  it  is  under  pressure  the  ground  water  is  an  effective  solvent 
and  becomes  charged  with  more  or  less  mineral  matter.     All  the  local 


Fig.  21. — Tributary  canyon  in  Deer  Park  Glen.  This  small  canyon,  like  the 
larger  ones  about  it,  is  cut  in  St.  Peter  sandstone.  In  its  caldron  the  light  streaks 
indicate  the  deposition  of  soluble  salts,  chiefly  magnesium  and  calcium  carbonate,, 
leached  from  the  cement  of  the  sandstone. 


wells  that  penetrate  into  rock  yield  mineralized  water.  The  St.  Peter 
sandstone,  Prairie  du  Chien  limestone,  and  some  of  the  "  Coal  Measures," 
for  instance,  contain  a  great  deal  of  iron  sulphide,  from  which  the  water 
derives  sulphureted  hydrogen.      Its  taste,  at  first  disagreeable,  soon 


40  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

becomes  highly  palatable  to  most  people.  The  well  at  the  hotel  at 
Starved  Rock  is  of  this  sort,  but  less  mineralized  than  most  of  the  wells 
in  the  valley-  Wells  or  springs  in  the  "Coal  Measures''  are  usually 
distinguished  by  a  bitter  taste,  due  to  a  variety  of  salts  leached  from  this 
formation.     Of  this  type  is  the  salt  spring  in  South  Ottawa, 

The  discolorations,  shown  in  Fig.  21,  are  caused  by  the  evaporation 
of  ground  water  as  it  seeps  to  the  surface  and  deposits  the  mineral  matter 
it  contains.  Stains  of  this  sort  are  common  in  the  canyons.  The}^ 
are  usually  white  or  brownish  and  are  principally  due  to  compounds  of 
calcium,  magnesium,  and  iron,  together  with  some  silica. 

On  Starved  Rock  there  are  concretionary  nodules  of  iron  oxide  and 
sand  imbedded  in  the  sandstone.  "Iron  stones,"  hollow  masses  of 
iron  oxide  with  concentric  layers,  are  common  concretions  in  the  glacial 
gravels  along  the  Big  Vermilion.  Both  of  these  types  of  concretions 
are  features  of  deposition  by  ground  water.  In  both  drift  and  sandstone 
iron  is  present  in  small  quantities  only,  yet  forms  the  most  conspicuous 
concretions.  The  ground  water  has  removed  it  largely  from  the  body 
of  these  formations  and  concentrated  it  into  concretionary  forms. 

An  extraordinary  feature  of  the  fluvio-glacial  deposits  are  the 
"cement  beds."  In  excavating  a  gravel  pit  the  workmen  encounter, 
in  places,  a  layer  of  firmly  cemented  gravel  which  retards  or  blocks  further 
operations.  These  cement  beds  are  postglacial  conglomerates,  formed 
by  deposition  of  lime  carbonate  from  the  ground  water  in  the  gravel 
beds.  The  cementation  of  a  certain  bed  as  distinct  from  others  is  due 
to  differences  in  texture,  which  affect  ground-water  circulation.  These 
cemented  beds  are  well  shown  in  gravel  pits  along  the  Big  Vermilion. 

SPRINGS   AND   FLOWING   WELLS 

The  water  supply  is  unusually  good.  Springs  are  numerous  in  the 
vicinity  of  Starved  Rock,  and  where  they  are  lacking  good  water  is 
secured  readily  by  drilling.  The  two  sources  of  water  in  the  park  are 
the  well  at  the  hotel  and  the  spring  at  the  base  of  Pulpit  Rock, 

There  are  various  water-bearing  formations  in  the  district,  all  of 
them  being  porous  beds.  In  the  drift  are  many  lenses  of  gravel  im- 
bedded in  the  compact  till  or  lying  on  bed  rock.  Where  these  gravels 
are  permanently  below  the  surface  of  the  ground  water  they  are  per- 
ennial reservoirs.  Outcrops  of  gravel  on  the  sides  of  the  Vermilion 
Valley  give  rise  to  weak  springs.  The  older,  dug  wells  on  the  prairie 
are  sunk  into  beds  of  stratified  drift.  They  furnish  a  good  and  accessible 
water  supply,  which  has  become  insufficient,  however,  as  the  feeding  of 


GEOGRAPHY  41 

Stock  has  increased.  Wells  of  this  type  generally  range  from  20  to  50 
feet  deep. 

Among  the  bedded  rocks  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  yields  most  water. 
Its  numerous  springs  issue  for  the  most  part  from  fissures  in  which  the 
water  collects.  The  formation  is  accessible  by  drilling  almost  everywhere 
along  the  upper  valley  and  is  the  source  of  most  of  the  well  water  used 
in  the  valley  above  Starved  Rock.  At  Utica  some  wells  derive  water 
from  porous  beds  in  the  Prairie  du  Chien  formation,  and  at  Ottawa  the 
still  lower  Potsdam  sandstone  has  been  tapped  at  a  depth  of  more  than 
a  thousand  feet.  ' 

Almost  every  drilled  well  in  the  Illinois  Valley  or  in  its  larger 
tributaries  is  flowing,  including  the  ones  at  Starved  Rock  and  Utica. 
The  flowing  wells  are  located  most  largely  in  the  St.  Peter  sandstone 
and  Prairie  du  Chien  limestone  and  are  not  very  deep.  A  part  of  the 
water  in  these  formations  enters  where  they  outcrop  in  the  region  about 
Starved  Rock;  but  much  of  it  gets  into  the  formations,  especially  the 
St.  Peter,  where  they  come  to  the  surface  in  southern  Wisconsin  at 
elevations  much  higher  than  the  lUinois  Valley.  Between  southern 
Wisconsin  and  the  Illinois  Valley  the  sandstone  is  buried  deeply  beneath 
relatively  impervious  formations.  A  large  part  of  the  rain  that  falls 
on  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  in  Wisconsin  sinks  beneath  the  surface  and 
flows  south  through  the  southward  dipping  beds  of  porous  rock,  as  in  a 
vast  set  of  sand-clogged  water  mains.  The  water  thus  comes  under 
constantly  increasing  pressure  and  where  tapped  by  wells  flows  forth 
with  considerable  force.  The  higher  parts  of  the  prairie  are  without 
flowing  wells,  as  the  pressure  is  insufficient  to  carry  the  water  to  the 
surface. 

WEATHERING   AND   SLUMPING 

The  gradual  and  unobtrusive  breaking  up  of  surface  materials  is 
going  on  actively  and  continuously.  The  forces  at  work  include  the 
atmosphere,  ground  water,  changes  of  temperature,  growth  and  decay 
of  vegetation,  and  other  processes.  Largely  by  weathering  soil  is  formed. 
By  the  disintegration  of  surface  materials  the  land  is  prepared  for  erosion. 

Loose  material,  especially  if  weathered,  may  creep  down  slope. 
Freezing  and  thawing  especially  aid  the  motion  of  the  mass,  and  a  soaking 
rain  may  lubricate  it  to  such  an  extent  that  it  may  slump  suddenly 
for  some  distance.  Trees,  poorly  poised  on  steep  slopes  and  insecurely 
rooted,  in  falling  may  start  material  on  its  way  down  slope.  The  floors 
of  all  the  canyons  and  the  bases  of  most  of  the  bluffs  are  partly  concealed 


42  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

by  sandy  debris  that  has  fallen,  crept,  or  slumped  down  (Figs.  13,  17). 
Here  and  there  one  can  see  a  clump  of  trees  whose  trunks  are  tilted  down- 
slope  as  the  result  of  a  soil  slip. 

GROWTH   OF   VALLEYS 

At  the  close  of  the  Ice  Age  the  Illinois  Valley  probably  was  the  only 
pronounced  drainage  line  of  the  region.  Because  of  lack  of  drainage 
some  of  the  surface  water  was  held  in  morainic  depressions  and  there 
formed  ponds  and  marshes,  some  of  which,  in  remote  sections  of  the 
prairie,  have  persisted  to  this  day.  Chains  of  glacial  depressions, 
especially  between  morainic  ridges,  collected  run-off  from  surrounding 
slopes  and  directed  it  to  the  Illinois.  Where  this  run-off  from  the 
prairies  discharged  over  the  river  bluffs  erosion  commenced  to  develop 
valleys  which  were  cut  back  gradually  into  the  prairie.  To  this  day  the 
lower  parts  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Illinois  have  deep  and  narrow  valleys 
while  in  their  upper  parts  they  occupy  broad,  shallow,  glacial  depressions 
called  "draws."  The  latter  are  almost  untouched  by  stream  erosion 
and  form  pastures,  meadows,  or  even  plowed  ground. 

The  relief  of  the  river  slopes  has  subjected  them  to  most  vigorous 
erosion.  Here  gullies,  or  valleys  in  infancy,  may  be  seen  at  many  places. 
They  are  numerous  along  the  Vermilion  River  and  above  the  park  on 
the  headwaters  of  Armstrong  Brook.  Within  the  park  they  are  not  well 
developed,  principally  because  the  slopes  are  adequately  protected  by 
vegetation. 

The  canyons  are  somewhat  more  advanced  in  stage.  They  are  young 
valleys,  whose  rivulets  are  actively  wearing  back  the  falls  which  interrupt 
their  even  flow.  The  water  tumbling  over  the  falls  is  not  sufficiently 
large  in  volume  and  persistent  in  flow  to  be  a  highly  effective  agent  of 
erosion.  The  basins  at  the  foot  of  the  falls  (Figs.  10  and  19)  are  shallow, 
with  gently  sloping  sides,  and  indicate  that  churn-drilling  is  not  sapping 
the  rock  walls,  as  in  most  vigorously  receding  falls.  Stones  from  the 
drift  are  available  for  drilling  into  the  soft  sandstone,  but  the  waterfall 
is  not  adequate  to  set  up  effective  churning.  Horseshoe  and  Illinois 
canyons  have  grown  enough  to  have  nearly  permanent  streams,  whereas 
the  smaller  canyons  are  eroded  only  intermittently.  The  two  branches 
of  Horseshoe  Canyon  have  developed  beyond  the  smaller  canyons  on 
either  side,  so  as  to  limit  the  drainage  area  of  their  competitors  to  a 
narrow  strip  of  land.  Of  the  canyons  in  the  park  Illinois  Canyon  is  in 
the  most  advanced  stage  of  development.  Its  falls  have  been  worn 
back  farthest,  it  has  the  widest  floor,  the  longest  stream  of  nearly 


GEOGRAPHY  43 

perennial  flow,  and  the  largest  drainage  area,  receiving  most  of  its  water 
from  the  east  flank  of  Farm  Ridge.  Its  growth  has  been  handicapped 
somewhat  by  the  nearness  of  Kaskaskia  Canyon,  but  as  one  of  the 
branches  of  Illinois  Canyon  has  succeeded  in  flanking  the  headwaters 
of  Kaskaskia  Canyon  the  former  has  now  a  clear  field  for  growth  into 
the  prairie.  The  lower  portions  of  the  canyon  floors  are  as  a  rule  worn 
as  low  as  the  present  level  of  the  Illinois  will  permit.  Here  tiny  flood- 
plains  of  nearly  pure  sand  are  forming  (Fig.  14). 

The  Big  Vermilion  River  is  in  a  state  of  adolescence.  Its  slopes 
are  still  steep  and  its  flow  is  disturbed  by  "riflles."  but  the  river  is  begin- 
ning to  construct  an  alluvial  flat  along  its  lower  course. 

At  Starved  Rock  the  Illinois  River  is  just  passing  out  of  youth.  It 
has  not  quite  finished  the  task  of  wearing  down  its  bed,  and  its  present 
alluvial  tract  is  not  wide.  Below,  the  stream  is  sluggish  and  no  longer 
able  ordinarily  to  erode  its  bed.  This  part  of  the  valley  is  mature  and 
contains  sloughs  cut  off  from  the  river  (Fig.  6).  Two  of  these,  Starved 
Rock  Lake  and  Lost  Lake,  are  within  the  park.  Both  lie  in  the  flood- 
plain  and  occupy  remnants  of  abandoned  river  channels.  The  map  in- 
dicates that  they  have  diminished  in  size;  a  swampy  tract  extends  east 
of  Lost  Lake,  and  the  depression  contour  which  incloses  Starved  Rock 
Lake  surrounds  an  area  considerably  greater  than  that  of  the  lake.  Both 
lakes  are  bordered  by  abundant  swamp  vegetation  whose  decayed 
remains  help  to  fill  them.  They  are  also  subject  to  filling  by  overflows, 
dust-bearing  wind,  and  other  agencies,  and  will  be  short-lived  unless  per- 
petuated by  man. 

The  sluggish  current  of  the  mature  portion  of  the  Illinois  River  is 
obstructed  in  many  places  by  bars  of  mud  and  sand.  The  largest  are  at 
the  mouths  of  the  VermiHon  rivers.  Both  of  these  streams  have  a 
much  more  vigorous  flow  than  the  Illinois.  Where  their  waters  are 
discharged  into  the  latter  they  are  in  a  measure  ponded  by  its  more 
sluggish  current.  As  a  result  much  of  the  sediment  which  they  had  been 
carrying  is  dropped  and  forms  bars 

From  time  to  time  the  Illinois  has  shifted  its  course,  leaving 
abandoned  channels  to  mark  its  previous  sites.  Some  of  these  have 
been  utilized  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  (note  in  the  topographic 
map  the  swampy  area  between  the  Hager  School  and  the  "wide- water" 
of  the  canal).  Others  have  been  appropriated  by  tributaries  left  without 
other  means  of  outlet.  The  course  of  Armstrong  Brook  is  an  example. 
As  the  water  from  the  easternmost  ravine  reaches  the  bottom  of  the 
Illinois  it  turns  west  and  parallels  the  river.     The  same  is  true  of  each 


44  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

succeeding  ravine,  and  only  after  the  stream  from  Ottawa  Canyon  is 
added  does  Armstrong  Brook  join  the  Illinois.  This  creek  occupies  in 
fact  a  deserted  channel  of  the  river  and  collects  the  drainage  from  a 
number  of  ravines  which  at  one  time  discharged  directly  into  the  river 
and  were  independent  of  each  other.  Hennepin  Canyon,  similarly, 
ends  in  a  slough  that  hugs  the  base  of  the  bluff  for  more  than  half  a  mile 
before  it  enters  the  Illinois.  This  obscure  depression  was  at  one  time 
occupied  by  the  Illinois,  then  flowing  hard  against  the  bluffs. 

MAN   AN   AGENT   OF   EROSION 

Normally,  changes  of  surface  are  slow  and  gradual.  Recently, 
however,  man  has  stimulated  tremendously  the  erosive  forces.  Earh- 
travelers  have  alluded  pleasantly  to  the  Illinois  River  that  flowed  limpid 
and  pure.  They  wrote  of  bands  of  dark  green  forest  that  outlined  afar 
the  courses  of  prairie  streams  and  of  great  expanses  of  waving  prairie 
grass  that  stretched  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  In  those  days  the 
Indian  ruled  the  land.  He  subsisted  by  the  chase  and  did  little  or 
nothing  to  alter  the  natural  conditions  of  the  surface.  When  the  settler 
came  all  this  was  changed.  The  prairie  sod  was  broken  and  its  soil  was 
laid  bare  to  wind  and  weather.  The  trees  on  the  slopes  were  cut  because 
of  the  scarcity  of  timber,  and  the  protecting  cover  of  vegetation  on  the 
sides  of  the  valleys  was  destroyed.  Depressions  in  the  ground  moraine 
were  drained.  After  a  time  most  of  the  land  was  put  under  cultivation. 
Corn  became  the  principal  crop,  and  the  clean  tillage  which  it  requires 
restricted  the  accumulation  of  humus  in  the  soil.  All  of  these  things 
increased  the  ease  with  which  the  water  flows  off,  and  hence  stimulated 
erosion.  The  enlarged  run-off  carried  more  sediment  into  the  streams, 
and  consequently  rivers  which  once  ran  clear  became  murky  with  a 
load  of  mud.  In  some  parts  of  the  Illinois  basin,  as  along  the  Fox 
Valley,  the  gullying  of  the  surface  has,  become  a  serious  matter.  For- 
tunately, at  Starved  Rock  the  steeper  slopes  have  remained  well  wooded, 
and  their  erosion  is  therefore  negligible.  It  is  to  be  noted,  however, 
that  the  protection  of  the  park  extends  only  to  the  lower  courses  of  the 
tributaries,  and  that  abuse  of  the  privately  owned  upper  courses  in  the 
future  may  possibly  become  a  matter  of  concern. 

The  industrial  operations  in  glass  sand  have  been  a  serious  menace  to 
the  physiographic  integrity  of  the  region.  The  limited  outcrops  of  the 
St.  Peter  sandstone  are  largely  in  the  hands  of  sand  companies.  At 
present  the  pits  are  confined  mostly  to  the  northern  side  of  the  valley 
because  of  better  transportation  facilities.     It  was  recognized,  however, 


GEOGRAPHY  45 

some  time  since  that  the  destruction  of  Starved  Rock  and  its  canyons 
was  inevitable  unless  steps  were  taken  for  their  permanent  preservation. 
Public  sentiment  was  aroused,  and  the  safety  of  most  of  the  important 
scenic  features  has  been  assured  by  the  creation  of  the  state  park.  No 
matter  to  what  extent  the  northern  slopes  may  be  desolated  by  sand  pits 
the  people  of  the  state  are  now  secure  in  their  enjoyment  of  Starved 
Rock,  the  canyons,  and  the  surrounding  forest. 

EXPLORATION,  SETTLEMENT,  AND  DEVELOI^MENT 
OF  THE  REGION 

THE  FRENCH  COLONIAL  EMPIRE 

Starved  Rock  looks  back  upon  a  long  and  distinguished  history. 
Upon  this  eminence  was  staged  one  of  the  first  acts  in  the  discovery  of 
the  West.  No  trace  of  this  early  history,  however,  has  been  preserved 
by  ruin  or  relic  of  any  sort;  for  a  record  of  it  we  must  turn  to  the 
centuries-old  relations  of  the  Jesuit  fathers  and  to  letters  and  journals 
of  soldier-adventurers. 

DISCOVERIES    IN   THE    WEST  • 

France  was  one  of  the  first  nations  to  participate  in  the  exploration 
of  the  New  World,  and  by  a  series  of  intrepid  expeditions  secured  prior 
footing  on  the  northeastern  coast  of  the  continent.  Colonization  was 
begun  early  in  the  seventeenth  century.  The  founding  of  Quebec  in 
1608  followed  the  Acadian  settlements  of  1604-5.  I^  i^ii  the  begin- 
nings of  Montreal  were  made.  In  1634  Jean  Nicolet  discovered  Lake 
Michigan,  and  in  1673  Marquette  and  Joliet  reached  the  Mississippi 
River.  On  their  outward  journey  Marquette  and  Joliet  used  the  Fox- 
Wisconsin  river  route,  but  on  their  return  they  chose  the  Illinois  River 
instead  because  of  its  gentle  current  and  direct  course.  These  two  men 
are  the  first  white  men  known  to  have  passed  Starved  Rock,  although  it  is 
possible  that  Frenchmen  had  visited  it  at  an  earlier  date.  Joliet,  on  his 
return,  published  several  maps  of  the  western  region.  Fig.  22  is  repro- 
duced from  one  of  them,  noteworthy  for  the  knowledge  which  it  shows 
of  the  Great  Lakes  and  part  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  It  is  the  first 
map  known  to.  have  been  published  of  the  Mississippi  River  system. 
Both  Great  Lakes  and  Mississippi  River  system  are  shown  in  consider- 
able detail.  Lake  Michigan  is  Lac  des  Illinois;  the  Illinois  River, 
La  Divine.  The  explorations  which  furnished  the  greater  part  of  these 
data  were  not  made  by  Joliet  or  Marquette,  but  were  collected  from 


46- 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


Indians,  and  also  in  all  likelihood  from  coureurs  de  bois,  woodsmen  who 
seem  to  have  been  familiar  with  much  of  this  country  before  any  recorded 
explorations  were  made. 

Within  sixty-five  years  after  the  first  feeble  settlements  had  been 
planted  at  Quebec,  Frenchmen  had  discovered  the  Mississippi  and  were 
acquainted  with  the  Illinois  Valley,  more  than  a  thousand  miles  away. 
This  phenomenal  expansion  of  a  handful  of  men  over  half  a  continent 


Fig.  22. — Sketch  of  a  part  of  Joliet's  map  of  1674.  The  Illinois  River  is  called 
Riviere  de  la  Divine  and  Lake  Michigan  Lac  des  IlHnois.  The  nature  of  the  Missis- 
sippi drainage  system  is  shown  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy.  Headquarters  of 
Indian  tribes  are  shown  by  tepees.  Names  have  been  relettered  for  the  sake  of 
legibility  and  a  number  of  features  of  the  map  are  omitted. 


stands  almost  without  a  parallel  in  history.  At  this  time  the  English 
of  the  New  World  were  still  confined  to  a  narrow  strip  along  the  Atlantic 
seaboard,  nor  did  they  cross  the  mountains  to  the  Mississippi  basin 
until  many  years  later. 

The  causes  which  dispersed  the  French  over  the  northern  part  of  the 
continent  were  of  the  most  varied  sort,  (a)  The  lure  of  the  unknown 
was  strong  upon  the  people  of  Western  Europe  at  the  time.  To  the 
West  lay  new  wonders  awaiting  discovery.     Restless  spirits  with  strong 


GEOGRAPHY  47 

aversions  to  the  routine  tasks  of  civilized  communities  were  attracted 
by  the  mysteries  of  the  New  World.  The  chance  for  a  good  fight  now 
and  then  and  the  uncertainty  of  life  itself  drew  adventurers  to  these 
parts.  Exploration  was  not  pure  romance,  however.  Decidedly  prac- 
tical reasons  served  as  incentives,  (b)  For  generations  the  quest  for  a 
western  passage  to  the  Indies  was  pursued  diligently.  Explorers  pushed 
hundreds  of  miles  into  the  wilderness,  expecting  at  almost  every  turn 
to  discover  the  long-looked-for  passage  that  led  to  the  western  ocean. 
Not  until  long  after  the  time  of  La  Salle  was  this  hope  abandoned. 
(c)  The  French  expected  to  find  great  mineral  wealth  in  tAe  north  of 
America,  as  the  Spaniards  had  done  in  the  south.  This  was  one  of  the 
earliest  motives  of  colonization'  and  is  expressed  again  and  again  in 
imaginative  reports  sent  to  France  by  explorers.  Indications  of  minerals 
were  magnified  absurdly.  Gross  errors  in  identification  were  common, 
as  shown  by  the  fact  that  gold  was  reported  from  many  a  locality  where 
gold  has  never  been  found.  These  stories  were  not  investigated  but 
acclaimed  as  facts,  (d)  The  greatest  of  all  incentives  was  the  fur  trade. 
In  it  the  French  had  an  easily  available  resource  that  made  up  largely 
for  the  deficiencies  of  soil  and  minerals  and  for  the  harsh  climate  of  their 
northern  territory.  The  fur  trade,  above  all  other  incentives,*attracted 
the  French  to  the  far  interior.  Two  or  three  men  could  handle  the  out- 
put of  a  small  Indian  tribe.  The  newcomers  in  this  business  therefore 
had  to  look  farther  and  farther  inland  for  trade.  As  furs  furnished  the 
principal  revenue  of  the  government  the  officials  were  interested  in 
fostering  it.  The  French  administrations  took  care  not  to  drive  out 
the  Indians  but  to  aid  them,  (e)  When  Father  Marquette  set  out  to 
find  the  Mississippi  and  thus  incidentally  brought  back  word  of  the 
Illinois  River  he  was  actuated  by  no  motive  of  material  gain.  He  saw 
in  this  great  region  a  vast  field  for  missionary  endeavor.  Here  were 
thousands  lost  in  the  night  of  heathendom.  Could  he  but  save  a  single 
soul,  he  said,  his  journey  would  not  bs  in  vain.  With  highest  fortitude 
and  singular  steadfastness  members  of  the  various  religious  orders, 
Jesuits,  Recollects,  Sulpitians,  and  others,  braved  hardships  and  suffered 
even  death  in  the  service  of  their  ideal. 

The  nature  of  the  waterways  was  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  French 
colonization.  On  the  seaboard  their  chief  settlements  were  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  most  used  route  to  the  Great  Lakes  was  by 
this  and  the  Ottawa  rivers.  From  the  lakes  it  was  not  difficult  to  reach 
the  Mississippi  Valley.     Short,  navigable  rivers  led  back  from  the  lakes 

'  Winsor,  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,  IV,  55  and  57. 


48  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

at  various  places,  and  up  these  they  could  paddle  their  boats  to  a  portage 
that  led  across  to  some  tributary  of  the  Mississippi.  The  Chicago- 
Illinois  river  route  was  such  a  natural  thoroughfare  and  was  much  used 
during  the  whole  French  period,  At  the  usual  stage  of  water  there  was 
only  one  portage  on  this  route,  an  easy  matter  for  the  light  canoes  then 
in  use.  Occasionally,  in  spring,  they  were  able  to  go  from  Lake  Michigan 
to  the  Des  Plaines  without  portaging,  as  the  swampy  watershed  was 
subject  to  flooding.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  French  could  have 
penetrated  to  the  heart  of  the  continent  without  the  aid  that  drainage 
conditions  gave  them.  It  is  certain  that  the  lack  of  similar  aids  was 
responsible  largely  for  the  belated  entry  of  the  English  into  the 
Mississippi  Valley. 

THE    MISSION   AT  KASKASKIA 

On  ascending  the  river  Marquette  noted  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  below  Starved  Rock  and  near  Utica,  "a  village  of  Ilinois  [Indians] 
called  Kaskaskia"  (Fig.  22).  His  party  landed,  and  he  observes,  "They 
received  us  very  well,  and  obliged  me  to  promise  them  that  I  would  re- 
turn to  instruct  them."^  The  following  year,  1674,  the  intrepid  father, 
although  suffering  from  a  lingering  illness,  decided  to  make  good  his  word 
and  to  found  a  mission  at  Kaskaskia,  where  no  missionary  had  ever  la- 
bored. After  a  hard  winter  spent  on  Lake  Michigan,  the  Jesuit  Rela- 
tions says,  "his  health  improving,  he  prepared  himself  to  go  to  the  village 
of  the  Ilinois  as  soon  as  navigation  should  open — which  he  did  with  much 

Joy,  setting  out  for  that  place  on  the  2Qth  of  march  (1675) On  at 

last  arriving  at  the  village,  he  was  received  as  an  angel  from  Heaven."^ 
The  tribe  was  quickly  assembled  to  attend  the  message  which  he  had  come 
to  deliver:  "It  was  a  beautiful  prairie,  close  to  a  village,  which  was  Se- 
lected for  the  great  Council;  this  was  adorned,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
country,  by  Covering  it  with  mats  and  bearskins The  father  ad- 
dressed the  whole  body  of  people,  and  conveyed  to  them  10  messages,  by 
means  of  ten  presents  which  he  gave  them  ....  then  he  said  holy  mass. 
On  the  third  Day  after,  ....  he  celebrated  the  holy  mysteries  for  the 
2nd  time;  And  by  these  two,  the  only  sacrifices  ever  offered  there  to 
God,  he  took  possession  of  that  land  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
gave  to  that  mission  the  name  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the 
blessed  virgin."''  -This  act  closed  Marquette's  missionary  career.  His 
health  again  failed  and  he  was  forced  to  leave  the  sorrowing  tribe.  His 
death  took  place  on  the  way  to  the  French  settlements. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  edited  by  R.  G.  Thwaites,  LIX,  161. 

^  Ibid.,  pp.  187-89.  5  //,/(/.,  pp.  i8q-oi. 


GEOGRAPHY  49 

In  1677  Father  Allouez  came  to  restore  the  mission  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception.  On  April  27  he  says:  "I  immediately  entered  the 
cabin  where  Father  Marquette  had  lodged,  and  the  sachems  with  all 
the  people  being  assembled,  I  told  them  the  object  of  my  coming  among 
them,  namely,  to  preach  to  them  the  true,  living,  and  immortal  God, 
and  his  only  Son,  Jesus  Christ."' 

"I  laid  the  foundation  of  this  mission  by  the  baptism  of  thirty-five 
children,  and  a  sick  adult,  who  soon  after  died,  with  one  of  the  infants, 
to  go  and  take  possession  of  heaven  in  the  name  of  the  whole  nation. 
And  we  too,  to  take  possession  of  these  tribes  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  on  the  3d  of  May,  the  feast  of  the  Holy  Cross,  erected  in  the 
midst  of  the  town  a  cross  twenty-five  feet  high,  chanting  the  Vexilla 
Regis  in  the  presence  of  a  great  number  of  Ilinois  of  all  tribes."  .  .  .  .^ 

These  are  the  first  chronicles  of  white  men  in  the  upper  Illinois 
Valley.  In  both  cases  the  pioneers  were  Jesuit  missionaries.  The 
first  structure  erected  by  the  hands  of  a  white  man  was  a  giant  cross 
that  cast  its  protecting  shadow  over  the  bark  huts  of  the  Indians,  a 
symbol  of  peace  and  civilization.  In  later  years  other  priests  came  and 
went,  among  them  Gravier  and  Marest,  but  after  the  departure  of 
Father  Allouez  missionaries  no  longer  had  the  field  to  themselves. 

LA    SALLE    AND   HIS    PROJECTS 

The  partnership  of  Marquette,  the  missionary,  and  Joliet,  the  fur 
trader,  is  typical  of  New  France.  In  some  places  the  pioneer  was  a 
black-gowned  clerical,  at  others  a  profit-seeking  trader  or  trapper. 
Where  the  one  came  the  other  was  almost  sure  to  follow.  A  third  type 
of  pioneer  was  the  soldier-adventurer,  imposing  to  the  Indian  by  the 
pomp  of  arms  and  the  splendor  of  the  king's  coat.  To  this  class  belonged 
La  Salle. 

In  the  exploration  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  the  honors  are  divided 
between  Joliet  and  Marquette  on  the  one  hand  and  La  Salle  on  the  other. 
The  former  were  interested  in  the  Illinois  Valley  in  a  minor  way  only, 
whereas  La  Salle  made  its  river  a  French  highway  and  made  its  name 
familiar  throughout  the  French  world. 

Robert  Cavelier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  was  a  born  adventurer  to  whom 
the  unknown  West  early  proved  an  irresistible  attraction.  His  self- 
set  mission  in  life  was  to  push  back  the  borders  of  the  unknown.  His 
journeys  of  exploration  extended  from  Niagara  Falls  to  the  Gulf  Coast 

'  Shea,  Discovery  and  Exploration  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  p.  74. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  77. 


50  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

and  have  earned  for  him  a  prominent  place  in  the  annals  of  French 
America.  At  first  his  aim  was  the  discovery  of  a  passage  to  the  Indies, 
but  soon  this  became  merged  into  the  larger  plan  of  a  colonial  empire 
in  the  heart  of  the  continent.  Among  the  bases  which  he  established 
for  his  purpose  the  fort  at  Starved  Rock  held  high  place  in  his  ambitious 
designs. 

It  is  possible  that  La  Salle  was  the  first  white  man  to  set  foot  in 
the  Illinois  Valley,  in  the  year  1670.'  In  this  year  he  made  a  long  recon- 
naissance, which  possibly  brought  him  to  the  Illinois.  At  least  by  the 
year  1677  he  had  seen  enough  of  the  Mississippi  Basin  to  become  fired 
with  its  possibilities  and  had  committed  himself  definitely  to  a  project 
of  colonization  in  that  region.  His  plans  are  expressed  in  a  remarkable 
memorial  to  the  minister  Colbert  at  Paris,  in  which  he  says  of  the  region: 

It  is  nearly  all  so  beautiful  and  so  fertile;  so  free  from  forests,  and  so  full 
of  meadows,  brooks,  and  rivers;  so  abounding  in  fish,  game,  and  venison,  that 
one  can  find  there  in  plenty,  and  with  little  trouble,  all  that  is  needful  for  the 
support  of  flourishing  colonies.  The  soil  will  produce  everything  that  is  raised 
in  France.  Flocks  and  herds  can  be  left  out  at  pasture  all  winter;  and  there 
are  even  native  wild  cattle,  which,  instead  of  hair,  have  a  fine  wool  that  may 
answer  for  making  cloth  and  hats.  Their  hides  are  better  than  those  of 
France Hemp  and  cotton  grow  here  naturally,  and  may  be  manu- 
factured with  good  results;  so  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  colonies  planted  here 
would  become  very  prosperous.  They  would  be  increased  by  a  great  number 
of  western  Indians,  who  are  in  the  main  of  a  tractable  and  sociable  disposition; 
and  as  they  have  the  use  neither  of  our  weapons  nor  of  our  goods,  and  are  not 
in  intercourse  with  other  Europeans,  they  readily  adapt  themselves  to  us,  and 
imitate  our  ways  of  life,  as  soon  as  they  taste  the  advantages  of  our  friendship 
and  of  the  commodities  we  bring  them;  insomuch  that  these  countries  will 
infallibly  furnish,  within  a  few  years,  a  great  many  new  subjects  to  the  church 
and  the  King.  It  was  the  knowledge  of  these  things,  joined  to  the  poverty  of 
Canada,  its  dense  forests,  its  barren  soil,  its  harsh  climate,  and  the  snow  that 
covers  the  ground  for  half  the  year,  that  led  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  to  undertake 
the  planting  of  colonies  in  these  beautiful  countries  of  the  West.^ 

In  these  words  La  Salle  expressed  the  plan  that  had  taken  shape 
in  his  wanderings,  a  splendid  vision  of  French  husbandmen  tilling  the 
fertile  fields  of  the  West,  of  French  towns  developing  trade  and  industries, 
and  of  tribes  of  enlightened  Indians  dwelling  among  them  peaceably. 
In  contrast  to  the  general  blindness  of  the  French  officials  to  every 
opportunity  except  that  of  the  fur  trade  this  comprehensive  colonial 

'  Parkman,  La  Salle  and  the  Discovery  of  Ike  Great  West,  pp.  23-27. 

-  Parkman,  op.  cit.,  pp.  iio-ii. 


GEOGRAPHY  51 

program  stands  forth  most  favorably.  It  is  perhaps  the  first  pubHshed 
appreciation  of  the  resources  of  the  West  and  is  memorable  for  its 
geographic  adequacy.  In  the  annals  of  French  America  no  colonial 
project  of  greater  merit  was  advanced  and  none  which  recognized  so 
clearly  the  necessity  and  opportunity  for  enduring  agricultural  colonies. 

La  Salle  and  the  period  of  reconnaissance. — At  the  close  of  the  year 
1679  La  Salle  and  his  party,  among  them  Henri  de  Tonty,  the  man  of 
the  iron  hand,  and  Hennepin,  friar  and  chronicler,  entered  the  St.  Joseph 
River  from  Lake  Michigan  and  ascended  it  to  a  portage  across  to  the 
Kankakee.  This  devious  stream  they  followed  to  the  Illinois.  Their 
store  of  food  became  exhausted,  and  to  replenish  it  they  landed  below 
Starved  Rock  at  the  Indian  village.  The  first  winter  in  IlHnois  (1680) 
La  Salle's  party  spent  below  Lake  Peoria.  Here  they  built  a  rude  forti- 
fied camp,  Fort  Crevecoeur  (Fig.  23),  and  began  the  construction  of  a 
boat  in  which  La  Salle  hoped  to  explore  the  Mississippi  to  the  sea. 

In  the  years  that  followed  La  Salle  was  engaged  in  exploring  expedi- 
tions, during  the  greatest  of  which  he  descended  the  Mississippi  to  its 
mouth  and  followed  the  Gulf  Coast  for  a  distance.  Between  these 
journeys  he  made  occasional  trips  to  the  French  posts  of  the  East  for 
the  purpose  of  improving  his  ever-tottering  credit  and  of  silehcing  his 
numerous  critics.  It  was  during  this  time  that  La  Salle  conceived  the 
plan  of  cutting  loose  from  Canada  and  of  establishing  direct  relations 
with  the  mother-country.  Henceforth  the  Mississippi  and  the  sea 
were  to  become  the  outlet  for  the  inland  empire  which  he  had  in 
view.' 

The  plan  of  a  base  on  the  //^moiv.— Through  his  various  trips  La  Salle 
became  impressed  with  the  strategic  value  of  Starved  Rock  and  the 
advantages  of  its  location  in  the  heart  of  a  rich  country.  While  return- 
ing east  in  the  spring  of  1680  he  made  note  of  this  fact  and  dispatched 
orders  to  Tonty,  at  Crevecoeur,  to  erect  a  fort  on  Starved  Rock.  Accord- 
ing to  Tonty' s  Account,  "at  the  village  of  the  Illinois  he  resolved  to  build 
another  fort  on  rising  ground,  in  order  to  command  the  Miamis,  Outa- 
gamis,  Kikapous,  Aisnous,  and  Mascoutans;  and  to  serve  likewise  for  a 
place  of  refuge  to  the  French."^ 

'  Parkman,  op.  cit.,  pp.  291-92. 

^In  Collections  of  Ihe  New  York  Historical  Society.  11  (1814),  247-48.  Probably 
Tonty  is  not  the  author  of  this  publication  (Winsor,  Narrative  attd  Critical  History, 
IV,  240).  Published  in  1697  and  containing  a  rather  full  statement  of  conditions 
in  the  Illinois  country,  it  is  nevertheless  a  valuable  source.  In  so  far  as  the  local  area 
is  concerned  there  is  no  reason  for  questioning  the  veracity  of  the  account. 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


.<  Inn     _  n!^-- 


^Ta  cetoffone 


From  ParA-mnn,  I.a  SatU  aiiri  the  Discovery  of  I  he  Great  //'< 


Fig.   23.— Franquelin's  map  of   1684,  showing  location  of  Indian  villages  and 
French  forts.     The  R.  Pestekouy  is  the  Fo.x. 


GEOGRAPHY  53 

While  Tonty,  obedient  to  his  orders,  had  quartered  his  party  at 
the  lUinois  village  in  preparation  for  the  erection  of  the  fort,  a  great 
disaster  occurred  which  canceled  all  immediate  plans.  One  day  the 
Indian  village  was  shaken  from  its  somnolence  by  the  alarm:  "The 
Iroquois!"  The  rout  that  followed  is  described  in  La  Salle's  graphic 
account: 

The  village  of  the  Islinois  was  on  the  river  bank  on  the  northern  side.  On 
the  south  there  is  a  great  bluff,  quite  high  and  exceedingly  steep.  This  bluff 
lies  back  of  a  strip  of  land  which  declines  gradually  to  the  edge  of  the  water, 
where  it  is  covered  with  white  oaks,  the  strip  having  a  length  of«  one  or  two 
leagues.  A  hundred  steps  beyond  is  a  vast  country^  which  stretches  far  to  the 
south  and  is  drained  by  the  river  Aramoni,  which  empties  into  that  of  the 
Islinois  (from  which  it  is  distant  in  that  place  three  leagues)  a  little  more  than 
two  leagues  below  their  village,  and  is  bordered  all  along  by  a  belt  of  small 
timber. 

The  bluff  spoken  of  lies  south  of  Utica;  the  Aramoni  is  the  Big  Vermilion; 
the  country  described  is  the  prairie  of  Deer  Park. 

The  alarm  having  been  given,  the  Illinois  set  out  to  meet  their  enemies 
along  the  timber  of  the  Vermilion.  ''  Into  this  country  the  Islinois  went 
with  Msr.  de  Tonty  at  their  head,  followed  by  the  Sieur  de  B«isrondet, 

and  by  another  Frenchman They  beheld  the  Iroquois  who  were 

in  force  beyond  the  timber  of  the  river  Aramoni,  and  immediately  ran 
to  attack  them.  Msr.  de  Tonty,  seeing  the  unequal  chances,  restrained 
them  and  attempted  to  negotiate  with  the  enemy."  In  the  parley  which 
followed  Tonty  was  struck  down  by  an  Iroquois  but  managed  to  return 
to  the  lines  of  the  Illinois.  The  ardor  of  the  Illinois  soon  cooled  and  they 
withdrew  to  their  village.  "The  Iroquois  following  shortly  after  under 
pretext  of  seeking  provisions,  the  Islinois  well  divined  their  true  motive. 
They  retired  to  the  place  where  their  old  men  and  women  were  con- 
cealed,' after  having  set  fire  to  three  of  their  lodges.  The  Iroquois 
burned  the  village  and  from  the  ruins  of  the  lodges  made  a  flimsy  redoubt, 
where  they  entrenched  themselves."^  Then  followed  a  horrid  desecra- 
tion of  the  Illinois  burial-ground  and  the  devastation  of  their  fields. 
The  Illinois,  now  thoroughly  panic-stricken,  fled  down  the  valley  on  the 
right  bank.  On  the  left  the  Iroquois  followed  in  hot  pursuit.  When  it 
became  evident  to  Tonty  and  his  men  that  the  Illinois  were  thoroughly 
demoralized  they  made  good  their  escape  to  Green  Bay.  With  the  entire 
country  in  terror  of  the  Iroquois  it  was  necessary  to  await  more  quiet 
times  for  the  construction  of  the  fort. 

'  An  island  downstream.         ^  Margry,  Decouvcrtcs  cl  Etablissemcnts,  II,  122-23. 


54  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Fort  St.  Louis  des  Illinois. — Sometime  after,  probably  in  the  early 
winter  of  1682,  La  Salle  found  conditions  opportune  to  proceed  with  the 
erection  of  the  fort.  He  came  "to  the  great  village,  whither  many 
families  of  the  Illinois  were  returned;  he  labored  hard  upon  the  inclosure 
of  the  new  fort,'"  and  in  the  following  spring  it  was  completed.^  The 
most  exact  description  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  as  it  was  named,  and  the 
best  appreciation  of  its  strategic  value  has  been  left  by  La  Salle.  Below 
it  was 

the  ancient  village  of  the  Kaskaskias  Islinois  who  had  abandoned  it  since  the 
rout  caused  three  years  ago  by  the  Iroquois.  The  news  of  the  fort  which  I  have 
built  there  has  called  them  back,  together  with  other  nations.  It  is  situated 
....  on  the  left  in  descending  the  river,  on  the  height  of  a  rock,  precipitous 
on  almost  all  sides,  whose  base  the  river  laves  in  such  a  manner  that  one  can 
draw  up  water  from  it  to  the  summit  of  the  rock,  which  is  about  six  hundred 
feet  in  circumference.  It  is  accessible  only  on  one  side,  on  which  the  ascent 
is  still  quite  difficult.  This  side  is  barred  by  a  palisade  of  stakes  of  white  oak, 
from  eight  to  ten  inches  in  diameter  and  22  feet  high,  flanked  by  three  redoubts 
of  squared  beams,  placed  the  one  upon  the  other  equidistantly,  so  that  all 
sustain  each  other.     The  rest  of  the  enclosure  of  the  rock  is  surrounded  by  a 

like  palisade,  but  only  fifteen  feet  high,  because  it  is  inaccessible There 

is  also  a  parapet  of  thick  trees  lying  lengthwise,  the  one  upon  the  other,  to  the 
height  of  two  men,  the  whole  covered  with  earth,  and  at  the  top  of  the  palisade 
a  kind  of  chevaux-de-frise  the  points  of  which  are  iron-tipped  to  prevent 
scaling.  The  neighboring  rocks  are  all  lower  than  this  one,  and  the  nearest 
is  two  hundred  feet  distant,  the  others  more,  between  which  and  the  fort  of 
Saint  Louis  extends  on  two  sides  a  large  dale  which  a  brook  traverses  and  inun- 
dates when  it  rains. ^ 

La  Salle  had  weighed  well  the  strategic  merits  of  the  site.  Starved 
Rock  is  a  natural  bulwark  which  could  hardly  be  improved  upon  for 
primitive  warfare.  It  was  well  said  that  twenty  armed  men  could  hold 
it  against  all  the  savages  of  Canada.'*  Because  of  its  compact  form  only 
a  small  garrison  was  needed.  Its  position  at  the  water's  edge  placed  it  in 
absolute  control  of  the  river  and  at  the  same  time  preserved  the  possi- 
bility of  connection  with  the  outside  world  in  case  of  siege.  The  river 
also  furnished  the  necessary  supply  of  water.  Fig.  23  is  a  reproduction 
of  a  contemporaneous  map.  Most  of  the  time  Tonty  was  in  command 
of  the  fort.     La  Salle  went  on  numerous  expeditions  and  left  his  faithful 

'  Tonty s  Account,  op.  cit.,  p.  262. 

^  Tont}',  Memoir,  in  Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana,  I,  66. 

3  Margry,  op.  cit.,  pp.  175-76.  '•  Charlevoix,  Histoire  et  Journal,  VI,  120. 


GEOGRAPHY  55 

lieutenant  in  charge.  After  the  completion  of  the  fort,  Tonty,  it  is 
asserted,  wrote: 

I  invited  all  the  neighboring  tribes  to  come  to  it.  There  needed  no  great 
pains  or  art  to  get  them  thither.  The  beauty  of  the  country,  the  fruitfulness 
of  the  land,  and  the  conveniency  of  a  fine  navigable  river,  the  nearness  of  about 
a  hundred  different  nations,  and  of  those  little  lakes  or  rather  Httle  seas,  which 
make  a  fit  seat  for  the  commerce  of  all  North  America,  and  reach  from  the 
river  St.  Laurent  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  short,  the  advantageous  situation 
of  this  fort,  which  was  designed  as  a  bulwark  for  all  the  nations  that  should 
come  to  settle  there  against  the  irruptions  of  the  barbarous  nafions  was  a 
sufficient  inducement  for  them  to  come  and  dwell  there.  So  that  in  a  little 
time  there  was  above  five  hundred  huts  made  up,  and  in  less  than  9  months 
there  was  a  wonderful  great  concourse  of  people  of  all  nations.  By  this  it  is 
easy  to  be  seen  with  how  little  difficulty  the  savages  might  be  tamed  and  pol- 
ished by  planting  here  and  there  some  colonies  of  Europeans.^ 

As  he  surveyed  from  his  palisade  the  animated  scene  of  many  hundreds 
of  Indians  encamped  amicably  about  his  fort,  Tonty  was  of  no  uncertain 
mind  as  to  the  advantages  of  the  site. 

The  objects  for  which  La  Salle  erected  a  fort  on  the  Illinois  were 
various,  (a)  Tonty  referred  to  it  as  "a  place  of  refuge  for  th^French." 
The  enemy  most  to  be  feared  were  roving  bands  of  Iroquois,  (b)  To 
La  Salle's  expeditions  it  served  as  a  base  of  supplies,  (c)  Perhaps  its 
greatest  service  lay  in  the  protection  which  it  gave  to  Indian  tribes. 
These  Indians,  settled  under  the  stockade  and  at  Kaskaskia.  in  their 
turn  added  to  the  security  of  the  French  from  hostile  invasions,  and  were 
used  by  Tonty  for  military  expeditions,  (d)  Trade  with  the  Indians 
supplied  La  Salle  in  part  with  the  means  to  carry  on  his  project. 
(e)  Fort  St.  Louis  was  situated  on  the  easiest  line  of  communication 
between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi  River.  La  Salle  un- 
doubtedly foresaw  that  the  future  commerce  between  the  two  regions 
would  be  largely  under  his  control  at  this  place.  (/)  Finally,  it  was  a 
part  of  his  great  project  of  permanent  colonization,  in  which  the  Indians 
were  to  be  accustomed  gradually  to  a  sedentary  life  under  the  direction 
of  French  settlers. 

Agriculture  at  Fort  St.  Louis. — La  Salle's  interests  in  agricultural 
colonization  were  destined  never  to  be  realized  He  has,  however,  the 
distinction  of  having  made  the  beginnings  of  agriculture  in  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley.  In  one  of  his  letters  he  wrote:  "On  the  other  side  [of  the 
Illinois]  is  a  prairie  which  borders  the  river  in  which,  at  the  base  of  the 

'  Toiily's  Account,  op.  cit.,  p.  286. 


56  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

fort,  there  is  a  charming  island,  cultivated  at  other  times  by  the  Indians, 
where  I  and  my  habitants  have  sowed  our  crops  within  musket-shot  of 
the  fort,  so  that  one  can  defend  those  laboring  without  the  fort  and  can 
prevent  the  enemies  from  landing  on  the  island."^  The  island  is  Plum 
Island,  and  so  far  as  we  know  is  the  site  where  white  men  first  undertook 
to  farm  within  the  limits  of  the  Mississippi  Basin.  The  fine  alluvial 
soil  grows  splendid  crops  to  this  day  and  is  most  commonly  planted  in 
corn.  This  cornfield,  framed  in  a  fringe  of  trees,  forms  a  charming  detail 
in  the  view  from  Starved  Rock  (Fig.  2). 

A  few  years  later  Joutel  wrote:  "That  country  is  one  of  the  most 
temperate  in  the  world,  and  consequently  whatsoever  is  sowed  there 
whether  herbs  roots  Indian  and  even  European  corn  thrives  very  well 
as  has  been  try'd  by  the  Sieur  Boisrondet,  who  sow'd  of  all  sorts,  and  had 
a  plentiful  crop,  and  we  eat  of  the  bread  which  was  very  good."^  Culti- 
vation of  the  land,  therefore,  was  continued  here  for  a  number  of  years 
with  success.  It  is  fitting  that  La  Salle  and  Boisrondet  be  remembered 
as  the  pioneer  agriculturists  of  the  state,  who  first  put  to  the  test  the 
fertility  of  its  soil. 

Resources  of  the  region  as  viewed  by  the  French. — Without  exception 
the  Frenchmen  who  wrote  of  this  region  were  enamored  of  it  and  praised 
its  attractions  in  lavish  terms.  All  were  agreed  that  here  was  an  almost 
ideal  place  for  colonization.  The  superstition  of  the  bleak  climate  and 
barren  soil  of  the  prairies,  so  prevalent  a  century  and  a  half  later,  had 
not  arisen  to  disturb  their  good  judgment  Of  the  land  and  the  life 
which  it  supported  La  Salle  wrote  in  one  of  his  earlier  letters:  "It 
[the  Illinois]  passes  through  woods  which  it  inundates  almost  always, 
and  which  take  away  the  view  of  the  beautiful  regions  that  are  back  of 

these  drowned  forests These  plains  are  covered  ordinarily  with 

wild  cattle  in  prodigious  number The  soil  of  it  is  excellent  and 

seems  to  want  only  cultivation.  There  are  here  and  there  woods,  brooks, 
hills,  and  valleys,  all  very  agreeable."^  Later  La  Salle  gave  a  peculiarly 
happy  account  of  the  view  from  Starved  Rock:  "The  rock  masses  which 
surround  the  fort  ....  are  covered  with  oaks  for  a  space  of  three  or 
four  arpents,  beyond  which  there  are  vast  stretches  of  exceedingly 
fertile  lands  [the  prairie].  The  other  side  of  the  river  is  bordered  by  a 
large  plain  which  the  Islinois  cultivated  formerly.^     It  joins  a  ridge  of 

'  Margry,  op.  cit.,  p.  176. 

^  Joutel,  Journal  of  the  Last  Voyage  Performed  by  Monsr.  de  la  Salle  (London, 
I7i4),p.  172. 

■5  Margry,  op.  cit.,  p.  170. 

■•  The  account  was  written  after  the  rout  by  the  Iroquois. 


GEOGRAPHY  57 

great  extent,'  whose  declivity  is  covered  in  places  by  woods  and  in 
others  leaves  large  openings  through  which  one  discovers  the  [prairie] 
land  which  stretches  beyond  by  certain  knowledge,  more  than  four 
hundred  leagues."^ 

Tonty,  who  remained  in  the  region  longer  than  any  of  the  others, 
reached  this  verdict:  "It  may  be  said  to  contain  some  of  the  finest  lands 
ever  seen."^  The  other  account  states:  "The  banks  of  that  river  are  as 
charming  to  the  eye,  as  useful  for  life.  The  meadows,  fruit-trees,  and 
forests,  affording  everything  that  is  necessary  for  men  and  beasts.  "^ 

Joutel  expresses  himself  with  equal  emphasis:  "Nothihg  could  be 
pleasanter,  and  it  may  be  truly  affirmed,  that  the  Country  of  the  Islinois 
enjoys  all  that  can  make  it  accomplished,  not  only  as  to  Ornament,  but 
also  for  its  plentiful  Production  of  all  Things  requisite  for  the  Support 
of  Human  Life."^ 

Next  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil  the  French  were  impressed  most  by 
indications  of  mineral  wealth.  Of  these  things,  it  must  be  admitted, 
they  were  in  general  indifferent  judges.  Near  Starved  Rock,  however, 
was  made  probably  the  earliest  correct  observation  of  the  occurrence 
of  coal  in  the  United  States.  La  Salle  wrote:  " There  exists  a  quantity 
of  slate  and  of  coal  [charbon  de  terre] ;  four  leagues  farther  do^n,  on  the 
right,  one  finds  the  River  Pestigouki  [Fox],  in  which  I  have  found  a 
bit  of  copper,  and  a  species  of  metal,  ....  which  I  believe  to  be  bronze, 
if  it  is  found  in  nature."^  The  coal  observed  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Mar- 
seilles, where  it  crops  out  on  the  sides  of  the  valley.  The  report  of  a 
find  of  copper  may  refer  to  pyrite,  which  is  common  on  the  Fox,  or  it 
may  have  been  a  piece  of  metallic  copper  in  the  glacial  drift.  The  lat- 
ter is  the  suggestion  drawn  from  Tonty's  statement:  "A  few  pieces  of 
pure  copper,  whose  origin  we  have  not  sought,  are  found  in  the  river 
of  the  Illinois  country."''  Joutel's  information  was  somewhat  more 
extensive:  "On  the  sides  of  the  hills  is  found  a  gravelly  sort  of 
stone,  very  fit  to  make  lime  for  building.  There  are  also  many  clay 
pits,  fit  for  making  earthenware,  bricks,  and  tiles  and  along  the  river 
there  are  coal  pits,  the  coal  whereof  has  been  try'd  and  found  very 
good."  It  is  easy  to  recognize  in  this  account  the  limestone,  clay 
beds,  and  coal  seams  of  the  "Coal  Measures,"  all  within  a  few  miles  of 

'  The  northern  side  of  the  valley. 

^  Margry,  op.  cil.,  p.  176.  ^  Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana,  I,  64. 

•t  Tonty's  Account,  op.  cit.,  p.,  235. 

5  Joutel,  op.  cit.,  p.  171;  equally  favorable  accounts  are  to  be  found  in  the  Jesuit 
Relations  of  Allouez,  Gravier,  Binneteau,  Marest,  Vivier,  etc. 

*  Margry,  op.  cit.,  p.  175.  ^  Memoir,  in  ///.  Hist.  Colls.,  I,  145. 


58  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Starved  Rock.  The  occurrence  of  coal  was  first  made  public  in  Joliet's 
map  of  1674  (Fig.  22),  which  bears  above  Starved  Rock  the  legend 
"charbon  de  terre."  According  to  Joutel  coal  was  used  near  Starved 
Rock  several  generations  before  it  was  put  to  use  at  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia, usually  considered  the  place  where  coal  was  first  dug  in  this  country. 
Fate  of  St.  Louis  des  Illinois. — For  more  than  five  years  nothing 
occurred  which  disturbed  seriously  the  prosperity  of  the  post.  Indian 
tribes  from  many  parts  of  the  prairie  country  flocked  to  it,  and  it 
promised  fair  to  become  one  of  the  greatest  centers  of  the  Indian  trade. 
At  one  time  the  fort  was  besieged  for  six  weeks  by  five  hundred  Iroquois, 
but  Tonty  and  his  men  held  out  staunchly  until  the  Indians  tired  of 
their  fruitless  assaults.'  A  year  later  Tonty  gathered  a  body  of  Illinois, 
Shawanoe,  and  Miami  Indians,  and  retaliated  with  an  invasion  of  the 
Iroquois  country. 

In  1687  La  Salle  was  murdered  while  on  the  Gulf  Coast.  With  him 
ended  his  projects,  and  the  fate  of  Fort  St.  Louis  was  sealed.  The  last 
account  of  Fort  St.  Louis  during  its  continuous  occupation  is  from  the 
pen  of  Joutel.  It  was  written  after  La  Salle's  death,  but  before  knowl- 
edge of  it  had  been  received  by  the  garrison:  "Fort  Lewis  is  in  the 
Country  of  the  Islinois,  and  seated  on  a  steep  Rock  about  200  Ft  high, 
the  River  running  at  the  Bottom  of  it.  It  is  only  fortified  with  Stakes 
and  Palisades,  and  some  Houses  advancing  to  the  Edge  of  the  Rock. 
It  has  a  very  spacious  Esplanade,  or  Place  of  Arms.  The  Place  is 
naturally  Strong,  and  might  be  made  so  by  Art,  with  little  Expence. 
Several  of  the  Natives  live  in  it,  in  their  Huts."^ 

Among  La  Salle's  followers  there  was  none  with  vision  clear  enough 
or  courage  strong  enough  to  go  on  with  his  work.  Tonty  and  La  Forest 
fell  heirs  to  the  command  and  continued  at  Fort  St.  Louis  for  some 
years.  Tonty  maintained  some  connection  with  the  fort  until  1702,^ 
although  it  was  not  occupied  continuously  up  to  that  date.  St.  Cosme 
reports  having  found  it  abandoned  in  1699.4  French  traders  were  residing 
on  "Le  Rocher,"  as  it  was  called,  in  1718.  Charlevoix,  passing  here  in 
172 1,  found  only  ruined  palisades  left,  and  ascribed  them  to  the  Illinois.^ 
Thus  the  fort  sank  into  oblivion. 

Single-handed  La  Salle  had  tried  to  open  up  the  Mississippi  Basin 
to  civilization.  His  life  was  a  stubborn  contest  with  the  vast  wilderness, 
with  savage  tribes,  but  most  of  all  with  intriguing  foes  in  France  and 

'  Tonty s  Account,  op.  ci!.,  p.  286.  "  Ibid.,  note  on  p.  294. 

'  Joutel,  op.  cit.,  p.  171.  5  Charlevoix,  op.  cit.,  p.  119. 

3  Parkman,  op.  cit.,  note  on  p.  441. 


GEOGRAPHY  59 

Canada.  Year  after  year  he  confronted  hopeless  odds  with  unfaltering 
determination.  A  staggering  number  of  reverses  failed  to  turn  him 
away  from  his  goal,  and  his  failure  was  finally  brought  about  through 
treachery.  His  magnificent  plans  were  perhaps  foredoomed  to  failure, 
because  they  were  too  vast  for  the  powers  of  any  one  man.  That  they 
were  sound,  however,  has  been  proven,  for  they  have  been  realized  to  the 
full  by  another  people,  who  found  the  country  as  pleasing  and  fruitful 
as  La  Salle  knew  it  to  be,  and  who  planted  in  it  the  civilization  of  Ameri- 
can stamp,  which  La  Salle  had  planned  to  be  French  in  its  allegiance. 

INDIAN  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  LIFE 

The  history  of  the  Indians  of  this  region  is  based  in  part  on  a  few 
uncertain  traditions  handed  down  to  the  first  American  settlers  by  the 
Indians  who  remained  at  that  time.  The  most  trustworthy  information 
is  found  in  the  records  of  the  French,  who  knew  them  most  intimately. 

CHARACTERISTICS    AND   CUSTOMS    OF    THE    ILLINOIS 

When  the  French  came  to  the  region  they  found  a  group  of  Indian 
tribes  of  kindred  blood,  who  called  themselves  Illinois.'  The  stream 
on  which  they  lived  the  French  called  therefore  "the  River  of  the 
Illinois."  Of  the  numerous  tribes  the  Kaskaskias,  inhabiting  the  great 
town  below  Starved  Rock,  the  Kahokias,  and  the  Peorias  are  best 
remembered  Accounts  of  their  character  are  conflicting;  probably 
none  of  them  were  based  on  extensive  knowledge.  Marquette  was  very 
favorably  impressed,  but  later  observers  did  not  confirm  his  opinion. 
Joutel,  in  particular,  criticized  the  Indians  severely  as  thieves,  and 
"very  great  Lyars  "^  It  is  probably  true  that  this  semi-nomadic  tribe 
with  its  few  possessions  had  poorly  developed  ideas  as  to  property  rights. 
Of  their  tribal  customs  few  records  exist.  The  best  one,  dealing  with 
local  conditions,  is  a  description  of  the  burial  ceremony  at  the  burial 
ground  below  Utica.     Here,  we  are  told, 

they  pay  a  Respect  to  their  Dead,  as  appears  by  their  special  Care  of  burying 
them,  and  even  of  putting  into  Coffins  placed  high  above  the  Ground,  the 
Bodies  of  such  as  are  considerable  among  them,  as  their  Chiefs  and  others; 
....  when  any  of  them  die,  they  wrap  them  up  in  Skins,  and  then  put  them 
into  Coffins,  made  of  the  Barks  of  Trees,  then  sing  and  dance  about  them  for 
twenty-four  Hours.  Those  Dancers  take  Care  to  tie  Calbashes,  or  Gourds 
about  their  Bodies,  with  some  Indian  Wheat  in  them,  to  Rattle  and  make  a 

'  Parkman,  op.  cit.,  note  on  p.  207.  '  Joutel,  op.  cil.,  pp.  173-74. 


6o  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

noise,  and  some  of  them  have  a  Drum,  made  of  a  great  Earthen  Pot,  on  which 

they  extend  a  wild  Goat's  Skin,  and  beat  thereon  with  a  Stick They 

also  bury  with  it  [the  body]  some  store  of  Indian  Wheat,  with  a  Pot  to  boil  it  in, 
for  fear  the  dead  Person  should  be  hungry  on  his  long  Journey;  and  they 
repeat  the  same  Ceremony  at  the  Year's  End.' 

OCCUFATIONS 

The  occupations  of  the  Indians  were  closely  dependent  on  their 
environment.  Hunting  was  the  chief  means  of  support.  Marquette 
wrote  of  the  Illinois:  "We  have  seen  nothing  like  this  river  that  we 
enter,  as  regards  its  fertility  of  soil,  its  prairies  and  woods;  its  cattle, 
elk,  deer,  wildcats,  bustards,  swans,  ducks,  parroquets,  and  even 
beaver."^  Other  accounts  lay  great  stress  upon  the  advantages  of  the 
country  for  the  chase.  Great  herds  of  buffaloes  roamed  the  prairies, 
deer  were  common,  and  wild  fowl  frequented  the  streams.  The  scanty 
Indian  population  could  support  itself  most  easily  therefore  by  hunting. 
The  French  created  a  demand  for  the  skins  of  beaver  and  other  fur- 
bearing  animals,  and  increased  thereby  the  incentive  to  hunt.  At 
certain  times  tribal  hunting  expeditions  were  organized,  during  which 
their  village  was  completely  deserted.  La  Salle's  first  visit  to  Kaskaskia 
took  place  when  there  was  not  a  soul  in  the  village.  In  winter  commonly 
a  great  hunt  of  four  to  five  months  was  instituted.''  Such  a  life  con- 
sisted of  alternating  periods  of  strenuous  effort  and  of  almost  complete 
inactivity. 

The  ease  of  the  chase  and  the  habits  it  engendered  discouraged 
agriculture.  To  till  the  soil  was  looked  upon  as  demeaning  labor,  fit 
only  for  women  and  old  men.  "Among  them  the  toil  of  sowing,  plant- 
ing, carrying  burdens,  and  doing  all  other  things  that  belong  to  the  sup- 
port of  life  appertains  peculiarly  to  the  women.  The  men  have  no  other 
business  but  going  to  the  war  and  hunting,  and  the  women  must  fetch 
the  game  when  they  have  killed  it."4 

Crops  were  raised  chiefly  to  give  variety  to  the  food  and  for  summer 
use  when  game  was  hard  to  secure  and  harder  to  keep.  The  character 
of  the  soil  also  was  a  handicap  to  tillage.  The  prairie  soil  is  almost 
invariably  a  heavy  clay  loam,  and  in  its  original  state  was  covered  by  an 
exceedingly  tough  sod.  The  white  settlers  had  a  difficult  time  breaking 
this  sod,  even  with  the  aid  of  steel  plowshares  and  of  draft  animals. 

'  Joutel,  op.  cit.,  pp.  174-75.  ^  Jesuit  Relations,  LIX,  161. 

3  Marest,  ibid.,  LXVI,  253;   similarly  Binneteau,  ibid.,  LXV,  73~7S- 

•<  Joutel,  Journal,  p.  173;   similarly  Marest  in  Jesuit  Relations,  LXVI,  231. 


GEOGRAPHY  6 1 

For  the  Indian  squaws,  whose  only  tools  were  crooked  sticks  and  stone 
hatchets,  the  cultivation  of  the  prairie  sod  was  an  impossibility.  As  a 
result  their  patches  of  cultivated  land  were  located  along  the  valley, 
where  light,  sandy  soil,  principally  derived  from  glacial  outwash,  could 
be  found.  A  similar  observation  is  reported  from  the  South,  where  the 
Indians  are  said  to  have  resided  "always  on  light  soil."' 

The  agricultural  products  were  mostly  corn  and  melons,  to  both  of 
which  the  soil  at  their  village  was  well  adapted.  While  Joutel  stayed 
at  Starved  Rock  he  says  "the  Indian  women  daily  brot  in  something 
fresh,  we  wanted  not  for  watermelons,  Bread  made  of  Indian  Corn,  bak'd 
in  the  Embers,  and  other  such  Things."^  Father  Allouez  found  that 
"they  live  on  Indian  corn,  and  other  fruits  of  the  earth,  which  they 
cultivated  on  the  prairies,  like  other  Indians."^  The  corn  was  stored 
in  caches,-"  commonly  located  under  their  huts.^  In  addition  to  hunting 
and  farming  food  was  supplied  by  fishing,  digging  roots,  and  gathering 
wild  fruits.  Father  Allouez  found  that  "they  eat  fourteen  kinds  of 
roots  which  they  find  in  the  prairies;  they  made  me  eat  them;  I  found 
them  good  and  very  sweet.  They  gather,  on  trees  or  plants,  fruits  of 
forty-two  different  kinds,  which  are  excellent;  they  catch  twenty -five 
kinds  of  fish,  including  eels.'"" 

Of  their  arts  we  know  little  except  that  they  bestowed  some  care 
upon  the  interiors  of  their  lodges  and  that  they  used  earthenware. 
Tonty  said  that  on  the  inside  their  lodges  were  "neat,  the  walls  or  sides, 
as  well  as  the  floor,  being  finely  matted."  Joutel,  in  his  account  of  the 
burial  ceremony,  speaks  of  earthen  pots  and  earthen  drums. 

THE    ILLINOIS   TOWN   KASKASKIA 

The  bonds  which  held  the  Illinois  to  their  habitations  were  not  so 
strong  that  they  were  permanent  town  dwellers,  nor  were  they  so  loose 
that  they  wandered  about  continuously.  They  were  sufficiently  depend- 
ent on  agriculture  to  maintain  villages,  around  which  they  tilled  fields 
and  in  which  they  stored  the  harvested  crop.  The  largest  of  these  was 
the  town  of  Kaskaskia,  situated  just  below  Utica,  on  what  is  known 
as  the  Clark  homestead.  On  the  south  the  town  bordered  the  river, 
with  an  indefinite  extent  along  the  water  front.     Tonty' s  Account  thus 

'  W.  Brewer,  Alabama,  note  on  p.  lo. 

^  Joutel,  Journal,  p.  175. 

3  Shea,  Discovery  and  Exploration,  p.  75.  s  Tonty's  Account,  op.  cit  ,  p.  235. 

^Ibid.,  Member's  account,  p.  93.  ^  Shea,  op.  cit.,  pp.  75-76. 


62  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

described  their  habitations:  "Their  cabins  or  cottages  are  made  with 
great  pieces  of  timber,  interlaced  with  branches  and  covered  with  bark. 
Every  cottage  has  two  apartments  wherein  several  families  might 
lodge."' 

Marquette  and  Joliet  found  in  1674  "a  village  of  Ilinois  called 
Kaskasia,  consisting  of  74  Cabins."^  The  following  year  Marquette 
is  reported  as  finding  "the  village  being  Composed  of  5  or  600  fires."^ 
Father  Allouez,  who  came  to  the  mission  in  1677,  wrote:  "I  found  this 
village  much  increased  since  last  year.  It  was  before  composed  of  only 
one  nation,  the  Kachkachkia.  There  are  now  eight;  the  first  having 
called  the  others  who  dwelt  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Missipi.  You 
could  not  easily  form  an  idea  of  the  number  of  Indians  who  compose 
this  town;  they  are  lodged  in  three  hundred  and  fifty-one  cabins." 
.  .  .  .4  In  1680  Father  Membre  found  "about  four  or  five  hundred 
cabins,  each  of  five  or  six  families."-^  There  were  about  the  same  num- 
ber of  cabins  when  La  Salle  came  to  the  village.  Franquelin's  map, 
made  in  1684,  recorded  twelve  hundred  warriors.  Allowing  for  exag- 
gerations,, the  accounts  show  that  perhaps  five  or  six  thousand  Indians 
occasionally  were  gathered  here,  and  the  place  had  the  reputation  among 
the  French  of  a  "great  town."  Properly  the  home  of  the  Kaskaskia 
tribe  of  the  Illinois,  in  time  of  a  proposed  campaign  against  hostile  Indians 
as  well  as  when  danger  threatened  it  became  the  rendezvous  for  all  the 
Illinois  Indians,  and  sometimes  also  for  the  friendly  Shawanoes,  Miamis, 
and  others.^ 

The  location  of  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois  was  determined  by 
geographic  causes,  (a)  Mention  has  been  made  of  the  sandy  land  in 
the  valley  and  of  its  adaptation  to  primitive  agriculture.  This  is  prob- 
ably the  largest  body  of  such  land  in  the  upper  valley,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Morris  Basin.  The  location  of  the  latter  was  too  exposed  for  an 
Indian  village.  Below  Kaskaskia  the  valley  was  subject  to  inundation ; 
above,  for  some  distance,  the  areas  of  productive  land  were  too  small. 
Above  the  Morris  Basin,  at  Channahon,  is  a  similar  sandy  area  which 
is  also  protected  in  its  location,  and  here  there  was  also  at  one  time  an 
Indian  village  of  importance.  (6)  The  Indians  realized  well  the  value 
of  the  broken  country  along  the  Illinois  for  defensive  purposes.  All 
around  the'm  lay  the  shelterless  prairie,  but  here  was  concealment  and 

'  In  Collections  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  II,  235. 

^Jesuit  Relations,  LIX,  161. 

3  Ibid.,  p.  189.  '•  Shea,  op.  cit.,  p.  74. 

*  Tonty's  Account,  op.  cit.,  p.  293.  « Ibid.,  p.  93. 


GEOGRAPHY  63 

protection  in  case  of  attack.  In  time  of  utmost  extremity  the  islands 
in  the  river,  or  Starved  Rock,  were  resorted  to/  Father  AUouez,  who 
had  a  knack  at  seeing  things  vaguely,  had  its  defensive  location  in  mind 
when  he  wrote,  "it  has  on  one  side  a  prairie  of  vast  extent,  and  on  the 
other  an  expanse  of  marsh^  which  makes  the  air  unhealthy,  and  often 
loaded  with  mists;  this  causes  much  sickness  and  frequent  thunder. 
They,  however,  like  this  post,  because  from  it  they  can  easily  discover 
their  enemies."^  (c)  The  timbered  belt  along  the  valleys  was  the  habitat 
of  various  wild  animals.  The  larger  game  from  the  prairies  came  down 
to  the  valleys  to  drink.  The  river  and  its  lakes  and  marslies  were  the 
home  of  waterfowl,  beaver,  and  other  water-loving  animals.  The  loca- 
tion of  the  village  was  excellent  therefore  for  hunting  and  trapping. 
(d)  The  Illinois  River  formed  a  convenient  highway.  It  is  uncertain 
to  what  extent  the  Illinois  Indians  used  boats.  That  the  river  was  used 
by  them  considerably,  however,  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  their  lodges 
were  "mostly  ranged  on  the  banks  of  the  river."''  (e)  Below  the  village 
navigation  was  possible  most  of  the  year.  La  Salle  stated  that  upstream 
the  river  was  not  navigable  in  summer. ^  Charlevoix,  descending  the 
Illinois,  did  not  find  continuous  navigation  until  after  he  had  passed 
Starved  Rock.  At  times  of  low  water,  therefore,  Kaskaskia  lay  about 
at  the  head  of  navigation.  (/)  For  a  time  Fort  St.  Louis  afforded  pro- 
tection and  the  opportunity  for  trade,  and  thus  contributed  greatly  to 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  Indian  town.  (^)  The  nearness  of 
timber  for  lodges  and  fuel,  of  flint  for  tools  and  weapons,  of  plastic 
clay  for  pottery,  and  of  numerous  excellent  springs  all  added  to  the 
advantages  of  the  site. 

Charlevoix,  in  1721,  observed  on  the  right,  a  league  below  the  Fox, 
a  high  rock,  which  "one  calls  the  Fort  of  the  Miamis,  because  these 
savages  have  had  a  village  upon  it."^  A  century  later  Schoolcraft 
wrote:  "Our  guide  pointed  out  to  us  the  ancient  sites  of  several  Indian 
villages,  one  of  which  was  situated  on  the  top  of  a  romantic  tabular 
elevation,  called  the  Buffalo  Rock."^  Of  this  Miami  village  little  else 
is  known.  It  was  located  probably  chiefly  for  defensive  purposes,  but 
had  in  a  minor  degree  most  of  the  advantages  of  Kaskaskia.  The  soil 
on  Buffalo  Rock  is  also  sandy  to  a  large  extent. 

'  See  pp.  53  and  64.  ^  Shea,  op.  cit.,  p.  74. 

*  Now  occupied  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.         ••  AUouez,  in  Shea,  loc.  cil. 

5  Margry,  Decouvertes  et  Etabliscmcnls,  II,  174-75. 

^  Charlevoix,  op.  cil.,  VI,  119. 

'  Schoolcraft,  Travels  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  p.  322. 


64  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

THE    FATE    OF    THE    ILLINOIS — STARVED    ROCK 

A  numerous  and  warlike  race  in  the  time  of  La  Salle  and  Tonty,  the 
lUinois  shortly  after  were  overtaken  by  disaster.  The  rapid  and  com- 
plete ruin  of  this  once  proud  people  may  be  ascribed  directly  to  the 
licentiousness  that  became  common  among  them,'  to  wasting  wars  with 
other  Indian  tribes,  to  the  appalling  crime  of  one  of  their  number,  but 
also  to  the  unprotected  character  of  their  country. 

The  first  blows  which  weakened  the  tribe  were  delivered  by  the 
Iroquois.  From  their  forest  fastnesses  in  the  East  the  ferocious  savages 
of  the  Five  Nations  swept  down  again  and  again  upon  the  prairie  Indians, 
scattering  them  widely,  occasionally  driving  them  even  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  as  in  the  raid  on  the  Illinois  experienced  by  Tonty.  The 
reason  for  these  attacks  is  to  be  found  chiefly  in  the  fur  trade  and  the 
growing  hostility  between  the  French  and  English.  The  Five  Nations 
sold  their  furs  to  the  English.  The  western  Indians  for  the  most  part 
traded  with  the  French,  through  the  great  fur  depot  at  Michilimackinac. 
The  ambitious  Iroquois  "hoped,  by  penetrating  to  Michihmackinac, 
to  make  themselves  the  agent  or  medium  for  the  trade  with  the  tribes 
near  it,  so  that  they  could  control  the  whole  southern  trafi&c."^  The 
Illinois,  who  had  cast  in  their  lot  entirely  with  the  French,  felt  the  full 
hostility  of  the  Iroquois,  especially  after  the  abandonment  of  Fort 
St.  Louis. 

The  destruction  of  the  Illinois  was  hastened  by  the  immigration  of 
other  tribes,  driven  out  of  their  homes  by  the  Iroquois.  Their  rich 
hunting  grounds  were  disputed  by  these  other  nations,  and  numerous 
quarrels  ensued.  It  appears  that  by  1694  the  old  village  was  at  least 
temporarily  abandoned  and  that  the  Kaskaskia  tribes  had  joined  their 
Peoria  kinsmen  on  Lake  Peoria.^  By  1700  the  Kaskaskias  had  parted 
company  with  the  Peorias  and  taken  up  their  abode  on  the  Mississippi 
in  the  district  which  still  bears  their  name."*  Here  it  was  easier  for  the 
French  to  protect  them,  and  here  also  the  ground  was  less  disputed. 
Marest,  speaking  in  17 12  of  the  IlUnois  country  in  general,  said,  "in  a 
very  great  extent  of  Country,  scarcely  three  or  four  Villages  are  found. "^ 
Their  decay  had  proceeded  so  far  by  172 1  that  Charlevoix  spoke  of  "the 
little  that  remains  of  this  Nation."^ 

'  Parkman,  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  pp.  30,  521. 

^  Winsor,  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,  I,  303. 

3  Gravier,  in  Jesuit  Relations,  LXIV,  158  ff. 

4  Ibid.,  LXV,  100-103.  =  Ibid;  LXVI,  218.  ^  Op.  cit.,  Ill,  393. 


GEOGRAPHY  65 

Against  superior  numbers  of  unforeseen  attacks  the  prairie  homes  of 
the  IlUnois  afforded  Uttle  protection.  Their  only  Hne  of  defense  was  the 
broken  and  wooded  country  along  the  Illinois.  Once  this  was  gained 
by  the  enemy,  the  only  remaining  salvation  lay  in  braving  a  siege  on 
Starved  Rock  or  in  dispersal  across  the  prairies.  In  the  raid  witnessed 
by  Tonty  the  Illinois  used  the  river  as  a  line  of  defense.  Once  the 
Iroquois  had  forced  its  passage,  however,  the  defenders  were  put  to 
headlong  flight.  After  the  withdrawal  of  the  main  body  of  Kaskaskia 
Illinois  to  the  Mississippi,  a  number  found  their  way  back  to  the 
old,  favorite  site.  Charlevoix,  in  1721,  came  upon  a  considerable 
village  in  the  shelter  of  Starved  Rock.'  This  settlement  was  attacked 
in  the  following  year  by  Outagamis  and  made  a  stand  on  Starved  Rock 
until  reheved  by  a  party  of  French.^  A  subsequent  siege  of  different 
issue,  according  to  popular  tradition,  gave  the  rock  its  present 
name. 

In  1769  an  Illinois  Indian  assassinated  Pontiac.  "This  murder, 
which  roused  the  vengeance  of  all  the  Indian  tribes  friendly  to  Pontiac, 
brought  about  the  successive  wars,  and  almost  total  extermination  of  the 
Illinois  nation."^  There  is  a  legend,  long  current,  that  a  part  of  the 
Illinois  tribe  met  its  doom  on  Starved  Rock,  probably  in  consequence 
of  the  feud  resulting  from  the  death  of  Pontiac.  The  story  as  told 
more  than  a  century  ago  has  it  that  Starved  Rock  "many  years  ago  was 
the  scene  of  a  desperate  conflict  between  the  Pottowattomies  and  one 
band  of  the  Illinois  Indians.  The  latter  fled  to  this  place  for  refuge  from 
the  fury  of  their  enemies.  The  post  could  not  be  carried  by  assault, 
and  tradition  says  that  the  besiegers  finally  succeeded,  after  many 
repulses,  by  cutting  off  the  supply  of  water.  To  procure  this  article 
the  besieged  let  down  vessels  attached  to  ropes  of  bark  from  a  part  of 
the  precipice  which  overhangs  the  river,  but  their  enemies  succeeded 
in  cutting  off  these  ropes  as  often  as  they  were  let  down.  The  con- 
sequence was  a  surrender,  which  was  followed  by  a  total  extirpation 
of  the  band.""  Another  tradition  ascribes  the  taking  of  the  stronghold 
to  starvation.  Thus  was  the  rock  where  once  stood  Fort  St.  Louis 
renamed  Starved  Rock.  Old  inhabitants  insist  that  in  earlier  years 
human  bones  lay  bleaching  on  the  top  of  the  rock,  and  several  local 
historians  accepted  this  evidence.^     It  is  altogether  reasonable  that  in 

'  Op.  ciL,  VI,  119.  '  Ibid.,  IV,  233-34. 

3  Nicollet,  quoted  in  Parkman,  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  II,  312. 

••  Schoolcraft,  Travels  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  pp.  319-20. 

5  Davidson  and  Struve,  History  of  Illinois,  p.  36. 


66  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

the  hour  of  their  greatest  danger  a  remnant  of  this  once  illustrious  tribe 
should  have  sought  refuge  where  their  French  protectors  and  their  own 
ancestors  had  found  a  sure  defense. 

PERMANENT  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  VALLEY 

During  the  eighteenth  and  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  this  region 
remained  almost  unvisited  by  white  men,  its  very  existence  almost 
forgotten.  During  this  time  the  French  title  was  extinguished,  but 
its  Anglo-American  heirs  were  slow  to  possess  it.  Of  the  various 
factors  which  restrained  the  Americans  to  their  seaboard  settlements 
for  so  long  a  time  the  most  important  was  the  Appalachian  mountain 
barrier,  which  held  the  population  back  until  at  last  it  was  forced  to 
overflow  into  the  interior  plains.  Once  this  overflow  set  in  it  spread 
over  the  new  lands  of  the  West  in  a  great  flood. 

PIONEERS    FROM   THE    SOUTH 

The  first  American  settlers  were  frontiersmen  from  the  South.  Most 
of  them  came  from  Kentucky  or  Tennessee,  but  at  an  earlier  date  had 
come  from  Virginia  or  the  Carolinas.  Favorably  situated  passes  directed 
them  across  the  mountains  into  the  former  states.  For  the  most  part 
they  were  men  who  wanted  much  elbow-room,  range  for  their  stock,  and 
hunting  grounds.  They  spread  rapidly  along  the  Ohio  Valley.  This 
river  became  a  great  highway  of  frontier  travel,  distributing  the  settlers 
through  southern  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  IlUnois.  From  southern  Illinois 
their  settlements  extended  up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois  Valley  to 
its  head.  In  the  late  twenties  a  number  of  pioneers  had  established 
themselves  in  La  Salle  County.  Several  families  lived  in  South  Ottawa, 
and  one  was  at  Bailey's  Grove,  opposite  Deer  Park,  in  1825.  In  1832, 
when  the  Black  Hawk  uprising  broke  out,  there  were  about  fifty  people 
in  the  lower  Fox  Valley  and  about  Ottawa;  four  or  five  families  lived 
near  La  Salle  and  Bailey's  Grove,  and  about  three  each  in  Vermilion 
and  Deer  Park  townships.  This  was  the  feeble  vanguard  of  civilization, 
which  was  soon  to  establish  itself  permanently. 

The  most  striking  feature  of  this  southern  immigration  was  its  estab- 
lishment along  valleys.  A  map  of  these  early  settlements  would  show 
long  digitate  fringes  along  the  stream  courses.  This  location  was  in 
part  a  response  to  the  shipping  advantage  of  the  rivers.  The  southern 
pioneers  chose  homesteads  along  valleys,  however,  even  when  the  streams 
were  not  navigable,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Big  Vermilion,  at  Bailey's 
Falls  and  at  Deer  Park.     Their  cabins  were  built  usually  on  the  slopes 


GEOGRAPHY  67 

of  the  valley,  at  a  spot  where  a  spring  issued.  They  also  chose  the  val- 
leys because  they  were  timbered.  They  knew  the  qualities  of  the  forest 
soil  and  the  methods  of  cultivation  in  clearings,  but  were  distrustful  of 
the  treeless  prairies  whose  nature  they  did  not  understand. 

INFLUX   OF    NORTHERN    SETTLERS 

Largely  because  of  their  industrial  interests  overpopulation  did  not 
come  about  in  the  northern  seaboard  states  as  early  as  in  the  South,  and 
emigration  began  at  a  later  date.  The  settlers  from  New  England  and 
New  York  first  occupied  the  region  marginal  to  the  Great  Lakes.  The 
peninsula  of  Michigan  obstructed  settlement  for  a  short  while.  By 
1832,  however,  boat  connections  between  Buffalo  and  Lake  Michigan 
points  had  been  estabUshed  regularly,  and  in  that  year  emigration  to 
northern  Illinois  set  in  in  full  force.  Of  this  northern  influx  the  upper 
Illinois  Valley  received  its  full  share.  For  this  its  nearness  to  Chicago, 
the  port  of  entry,  was  largely  responsible.  The  first  settlers  avoided 
the  sandy  plains  about  Chicago  and  selected  more  desirable  sites  in  the 
fertile  country  west  of  the  lake.  Again,  the  timbered  belt  of  the  Illinois 
attracted  the  emigrants  and  was  soon  occupied  throughout  its  entire 
length.  Early  northern  colonies  were  located  at  Ottawa  and  near 
La  Salle.  Utica  was  also  settled  at  an  early  date,  as  well  as  the  timbered 
belt  of  the  Big  Vermilion. 

The  few  southern  families  were  soon  surrounded  by  northern  neigh- 
bors. In  a  list  of  settlers  of  La  Salle  County,  made  in  1877,  eighty  had 
come  from  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  fifty-eight  from  New  England, 
fifty-nine  from  Ohio  (largely  from  New  England  originally),  thirty-one 
from  Pennsylvania,  and  only  twenty-one  from  all  the  states  of  the  South. 
Certain  rural  communities  of  La  Salle  County  are  composed  to  this  day 
of  purer  Yankee  blood  than  are  most  parts  of  New  England.  Social 
institutions  still  bear  the  stamp  of  their  Puritan  origin. 

CONQUEST   OF    THE   PRAIRIE 

The  first  settlers  found  the  upland  covered  with  tall  grass,  in  places 
as  high  as  a  man,  an  almost  endless  sea  of  green  or  brown.  Trees  and 
bushes  were  confined  to  the  valleys,  much  as  at  present,  and  possibly 
were  even  less  extensive.  The  neglect  of  the  prairies  was  in  part  the 
result  of  superstitions  concerning  it  which  had  gained  currency.  Early 
travelers  considered  it  little  better  than  a  desert.  The  most  famous 
opinion  delivered  upon  them  was  by  James  Monroe:  "A  great  part  of 
the  territory  is  miserably  poor,  especially  that  near  lakes  Michigan  & 


68  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Erie  &  that  upon  the  Mississippi  &  the  Illinois  consists  of  extensive 
plains  wh  have  not  had  from  appearances  &  will  not  have  a  single  bush 
on  them,  for  ages.  The  districts  therefore  within  wh  these  fall  will 
perhaps  never  contain  a  sufficient  number  of  Inhabitants  to  entitle  them 
to  membership  in  the  confederacy."'  In  less  than  a  century  after  this 
prophecy  was  made  Illinois  had  a  population  approximately  twice  as 
dense  as  that  of  Monroe's  native  state,  Virginia.  The  belief  in  the 
poverty  of  the  soil  seems  to  have  been  based  solely  upon  the  absence  of 
timber.  Men  from  the  wooded  East  were  wont  to  judge  the  merits 
of  land  by  the  kind  and  luxuriance  of  its  trees,  and  they  considered  the 
prairie  a  barren  heath.  Another  prejudice  was  concerned  with  the 
winter  climate.  Wintry  blasts,  sweeping  the  shelterless  grasslands, 
were  pictured  as  bringing  with  them  temperatures  that  neither  trees  nor 
human  beings  could  endure.  Since  these  adverse  opinions  were  based 
upon  ignorance,  a  short  habitation  of  the  region  sufficed  to  dispel  them. 

Long  after  all  prejudice  was  gone,  however,  the  prairies  still  baffled 
settlement.  The  pioneer  commonly  had  brought  with  him  a  small, 
weak  plow  from  his  hill  farm  in  the  East.  At  best  his  work  animals 
consisted  of  a  span  or  two  of  horses  or  of  a  few  yokes  of  oxen.  With 
this  equipment  the  breaking  of  the  prairie  sod  was  a  task  beyond  his 
power.  Within  a  few  years  there  was  placed  upon  the  market  a  plow 
of  heavy  steel  of  improved  pattern,  adapted  especially  to  cutting  and 
turning  the  heavy  prairie  sod.  By  that  time  also  the  farmers'  stock 
had  increased,  and  the  necessary  animals  were  available.  The  breaking 
was  done  usually  with  six  horses  or  a  greater  number  of  oxen. 

Prairie  fires  were  a  source  of  considerable  danger,  especially  in 
autumn.  A  prairie  fire  once  started  often  swept  for  miles  over  the  flat 
surface  faster,  it  is  claimed,  than  a  man  could  ride.  Thus  in  some 
cases  the  harvest  of  a  year's  toil  and  even  the  homestead  itself  were 
destroyed.  As  a  consequence  settlement  was  retarded  through  fear  of 
these  fires.  As  a  means  of  protection  against  them  the  pioneer  who  had 
ventured  out  on  the  prairie  sought  protection  by  plowing  a  broad  strip 
about  his  fields,  or  at  least  about  his  buildings.  But  until  the  prairie 
grasses  had  given  way  to  cultivated  crops  the  danger  from  prairie  fires 
was  not  entirely  overcome. 

Because  of  the  absence  of  surface  water  the  prairie  was  at  first 
considered  waterless.  It  was  discovered  after  a  time,  however,  that  at 
slight  depths  good  well  water  could  be  obtained  in  buried  glacial  gravels 
in  quantity  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  homesteader. 

'  Writings,  I,  117. 


GEOGRAPHY  69 

Perhaps  the  most  serious  drawback  was  the  lack  of  timber  for  fuel, 
buildings,  fences,  and  the  many  other  needs  of  the  farm.  This  handicap 
did  not  affect  the  prairies  of  the  Starved  Rock  vicinity,  because  they 
lie  within  convenient  distance  of  the  wooded  valley  slopes.  It  did 
prevent  the  opening  up  of  the  more  remote  townships  of  the  county, 
some  of  which  remained  virtually  uninhabited  until  railroads  were  laid 
through  them. 

The  prairies  were  at  one  time  in  evil  repute  because  of  their  unhealth- 
ful  character.  The  earliest  settlement  at  La  Salle  was  broken  up  by 
"fever  and  ague."  Malarial  ills  were  the  bane  of  the  pioneer  prairie 
farmer.  Other  fevers,  probably  mostly  typhoid,  were  also  common. 
The  sickness  among  the  prairie  settlers  was  due  in  part  to  ignorance  of 
the  new  conditions  of  life,  but  especially  to  a  neglect  of  sanitation. 
Probably  credence  must  be  given  as  well  to  the  theory  of  "poisonous 
miasmas  "  that  were  said  to  rise  from  the  prairie.  Much  of  the  land  was 
ill-drained  and  contained  foul  swamps  and  stagnant  pools  from  which 
malaria  and  probably  also  typhoid  was  disseminated  readily.  The  bodily 
resistance  of  the  pioneer,  often  underfed  and  overworked,  also  was  low 
and  made  him  susceptible  to  disease. 

The  conquest  of  the  prairie  did  not  consist  merely  in  breaking  the 
heavy  sod  and  sowing  the  crop  in  the  rich  black  earth.  It  required  the 
solution  of  each  of  these  difficult  problems.  The  task  was  slow  and 
arduous  and  put  to  the  mettle  the  best  qualities  of  the  newcomers 
through  years  of  privation  and  of  unremitting  application.  The  splendid 
prairie  farms  of  the  present  day,  which  support  their  owners  in  comfort, 
are  a  monument  to  that  first  generation  which  carried  the  stubborn 
contest  against  adverse  conditions  to  a  successful  end. 

PIONEER   LIFE 

The  first  improvement  made  was  a  shelter  for  the  household.  A  log 
cabin  was  built  according  to  the  conventional  design  of  the  frontier. 
The  furnishings  of  the  cabin  were  also  usually  homemade,  from  the 
built-in  one-poster  bedstead  to  the  three-legged  stools.  Almost  none 
of  the  old  homesteads  remain.  They  were  put  up  rudely  and  hastily, 
temporary  shelters  that  were  converted  to  meaner  uses  when  the  farmer 
had  established  himself. 

That  crops  were  grown  at  all  in  those  first  years  is  due  only  to  the 
liberality  of  the  soil.  The  first  crop  was  almost  invariably  corn,  planted 
in  the  half -rotted  sod,  often  by  gashing  it  with  an  ax.  Until  the  sod  was 
decomposed  it  was  difficult  to  raise  the  small  grains.     Later  most  of  the 


70  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

farmers  began  to  raise  wheat,  and  to  some  extent  barley.  Farming 
methods  remained  crude  and  inefficient  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
smaller  yields  than  at  present  were  the  rule.  Only  after  land  values 
rose  considerably  did  improved  methods  of  cultivation  receive  attention. 
The  farmers  of  this  vicinity  took  their  corn  and  wheat  largely  to  the  mills 
at  Dayton,  Lowell,  or  Ottawa.  When  the  roads  were  impassable  the 
farmer  or,  more  commonly,  his  wife  pounded  the  corn  to  meal  in  a  hand 
mortar. 

Almost  as  soon  as  their  cabins  were  built  the  settlers  began  the  erec- 
tion of  schools  and  churches.  In  1830  Ottawa  built  its  first  courthouse. 
The  early  development  of  well-ordered  social  institutions  is  in  marked 
contrast  to  the  settlements  made  by  southerners.  The  northern  settlers 
were  accustomed  to  community  life,  and  the  social  habits  which  it  had 
engendered  they  carried  with  them  to  their  new  homes. 

THE  DEMAND  FOR  IMPROVED  COMMUNICATION 
PIONEER   TRANSPORTATION 

At  first  the  settler  paid  little  heed  to  transportation  problems.  As 
long  as  the  farm  yielded  no  great  surplus  the  pioneer  had  little  interest 
in  markets  or  in  roads  to  them.  In  those  days  the  prairie  itself  served 
as  highway  and  was  crossed  at  will  in  any  direction.  Some  of  these 
uncertain  trails  followed  Indian  or  Buffalo  paths;  others  were  worn 
gradually  between  settlements.  Entirely  unimproved,  these  roads  were 
impassable  in  early  spring  and  after  heavy  rains.  Bridges  were  un- 
known; all  streams  had  to  be  forded.  Floods  isolated  settlements  for 
days,  and  even  resulted  in  loss  of  life.  Before  the  Big  Vermilion  was 
bridged  a  number  of  people  lost  their  lives  while  attempting  to  ford  it. 

By  the  middle  thirties  the  settlers  were  raising  a  considerable  surplus 
and  the  question  of  transportation  engaged  their  attention.  The  best 
market  was  at  Chicago,  and  great  quantities  of  grain  were  hauled  there 
from  the  upper  Illinois  Valley.  The  wagons  often  were  accompanied 
by  droves  of  live  stock.  This  traffic  soon  outlined  roads  that  took  the 
shortest  course  across  the  prairie.  South  of  the  park  one  of  these  old 
diagonal  roads  has  been  preserved  from  Vermilionville  to  Ottawa.  At 
the  latter  place  this  road  joined  the  main  traveled  Chicago  road,  which 
leads  northeastward  and  is  now  an  automobile  route  of  importance. 

Another  early  means  of  shipping  was  by  steamboat.  The  first  steam- 
boat entered  the  upper  lUinois  in  1831.  For  a  number  of  years  there- 
after only  occasional  arrivals  are  reported.     Starved  Rock  was  visited 


GEOGRAPHY  71 

only  at  high  water,  and  even  then  rarely.  At  such  times  boats  landed 
also  at  Utica,  and  now  and  then  boats  ran  up  to  Ottawa  but  not  beyond. 
The  only  regular  port  before  the  opening  of  the  canal  was  Peru,  which 
had  both  a  deep  channel  and  a  good  landing  and  for  a  time  enjoyed  a 
flourishing  traffic.  The  principal  markets  reached  by  the  steamboats 
were  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  both  of  which  commonly  were  glutted 
with  agricultural  produce.  With  reference  to  both  of  these  places  the 
upper  Illinois  country  occupied  a  remote  position.  For  these  reasons 
its  river  traffic  was  never  great.  ^ 

"boom  days"  and  their  collapse 

When  the  worth  of  the  prairie  soil  was  proved  the  early  skeptical 
attitude  yielded  rapidly  to  strong  confidence  in  the  future  of  the  region. 
Well-based  confidence  grew  to  wildest  enthusiasm.  The  years  of  trial 
were  followed  by  a  period  of  exaggerated  optimism  in  which  all  values 
became  inflated  to  an  extreme  degree.  Farm  lands  increased  rapidly 
in  price,  but  their  rise  was  eclipsed  by  that  of  town  lots.  The  resources 
of  the  land  were  held  to  be  so  great  that  the  mere  location  of  a  town  site 
would  insure  the  immediate  establishment  and  rapid  growth  ^f  a  city. 
Every  existing  settlement  saw  itself  destined  to  greatness.  Peru  was 
heralded  as  about  to  "become  one  of  the  greatest  inland  towns  in  the 
West,  and  second  only  to  Chicago,"  and  prices  of  from  five  to  ten 
thousand  dollars  an  acre  were  asked  in  the  then  poor  and  struggling 
village. 

Speculation  reached  its  most  feverish  character  in  certain  town  sites 
which  never  passed  beyond  an  existence  on  paper.  Crossroads  were 
considered  a  sufficient  reason  for  promoting  a  town.  Even  Starved  Rock 
was  not  overlooked  by  the  "land  sharks."  Here  they  planned  the  "City 
of  Gibraltar,"  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  the  name  fitted  the  site  better 
than  did  their  plans.  Admirable  as  was  the  location  of  Starved  Rock 
for  a  fort,  it  was  impossible  as  a  town  site,  with  its  narrow  valley  terrace 
and  surrounding  bluffs.  No  improvements  were  ever  undertaken.  The 
project  merely  raised  Starved  Rock  momentarily  out  of  the  obscurity 
in  which  it  had  lain  for  a  century  and  a  half. 

The  new  state  was  sorely  in  need  of  efficient  means  of  transportation. 
The  wealth  of  the  state  was  boundless,  so  it  was  argued,  and  warranted 
the  immediate  construction  of  waterways  and  railroads  for  the  entire 
state.  An  ambitious  project  of  internal  improvements  was  adopted, 
including  provision  for  a  canal  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Illinois  River, 
for  the  purpose  of  linking  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  Great  Lakes. 


72  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

The  whole  vast  scheme  was  undertaken  at  once.  In  four  years  from  the 
time  the  first  money  was  voted  for  these  improvements  the  state  was 
virtually  bankrupt  and  had  ceased  paying  interest  on  its  debt.  When 
the  improvement  enterprises  were  abandoned  the  credit  of  the  state  was 
ruined,  business  had  almost  ceased,  and  specie  had  disappeared.  Worst 
of  all,  immigration  naturally  avoided  a  state  so  burdened  with  debt 
that  its  inhabitants  seemed  destined  to  perpetual  oppression  by  exces- 
sive taxation.  A  conservative  administration  in  1842  began  the  arduous 
task  of  restoring  the  fallen  fortunes  of  the  state.  The  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal,  as  the  most  necessary  of  the  projects,  was  completed 
and  was  of  greatest  importance  in  giving  new  life  to  the  development 
of  Illinois. 

ILLINOIS   AND   MICHIGAN   CANAL 

The  abandoned  glacial  outlet  of  Lake  Michigan  suggested  the  possi- 
bility of  constructing  a  canal  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois 
to  the  early  French  explorers.  Thereafter  the  plan  reappeared  in  various 
forms  from  time  to  time.  The  construction  of  the  canal  was  finally 
undertaken  in  1836  in  response  to  the  very  urgent  demands  of  the  pioneer 
communities  of  Illinois  for  direct  communication  with  the  eastern 
markets.  In  183Q  work  was  abandoned  owing  to  the  general  depression 
in  the  state,  and  the  canal  was  not  completed  until  1848.  The  canal 
stretches  along  the  northern  side  of  the  Illinois  Valley  and  is  plainly 
visible  from  Starved  Rock. 

Canal  traffic. — The  canal  immediately  became  the  most  important 
passenger  carrier  between  Chicago  and  points  west  and  south.  Graceful 
and  well-appointed  packet  boats  provided  a  degree  of  comfort  hitherto 
unknown  in  western  travel.  These  boats  made  the  trip  between  Chicago 
and  Peru  in  twenty  hours,  a  Uttle  less  than  the  time  required  by  stage. 
In  1853,  however,  the  railroad  along  the  valley  was  completed,  and  by 
reason  of  its  superior  speed  and  lesser  charges  ruined  the  packet  service. 
In  that  year  the  boats  were  sold  and  passenger  traffic  was  abandoned. 
At  the  time  of  its  opening  there  was  neither  canal  nor  railroad  to  compete 
with  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  It  therefore  was  the  one  great 
artery  for  freight  traffic,  not  only  for  the  Illinois  country,  but  also  to  a 
considerable  extent  for  regions  to  the  south  and  west. 

With  temporary  exceptions  corn  was  the  principal  commodity 
shipped  out  by  way  of  the  canal.  The  heavy  prairie  soil  grew  corn  with 
better  success  than  any  other  crop.  Previous  to  the  building  of  the  canal, 
however,  its  bulk  had  made  it  unprofitable  except  for  home  consumption, 
and  wheat,  being  of  less  bulk  relative  to  its  value,  was  the  chief  cash  crop. 


GEOGRAPHY  73 

The  canal,  by  reducing  the  cost  of  shipping,  made  corn  the  most  profitable 
crop  of  the  prairies.  As  a  result  the  production  of  corn  increased 
tremendously,  whereas  the  growing  of  wheat  was  almost  abandoned. 
Coal  produced  along  the  Illinois  River  held  second  place  in  tonnage  of 
exports. 

Among  the  commodities  shipped  in,  lumber,  the  chief  deficiency  of 
the  prairie,  was  foremost.  The  first  canal  boat  that  came  to  Ottawa  was 
loaded  with  lumber.  This  boatload  reduced  the  local  price  from  $60 
to  $30  per  thousand  feet.  Previously  most  of  the  lumber  had  been 
shipped  from  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  by  way  of  the  Ohio,  Missis- 
sippi, and  Illinois  rivers.  The  canal  made  white  pine  from  Michigan 
available  at  prices  with  which  the  older  supply  could  not  compete.  Salt 
was  another  necessity  of  the  prairie  that  had  to  be  imported.  The 
canal  enabled  the  salines  of  western  New  York  to  supply  the  local  market 
at  prices  much  lower  than  had  obtained  previously.  Cheaper  salt 
encouraged  stock-raising.  After  the  opening  of  the  canal  the  stores 
of  northern  Illinois  were  supplied  from  Chicago,  whereas  previously 
their  goods  had  been  shipped  up  from  St.  Louis  by  river.  Shipments 
of  the  most  varied  sort  were  sent  through  the  canal,  which  formed  a 
link  in  a  vast  system  of  waterways,  extending  from  the  Gulf  to  New  York. 
Grain  from  western  Illinois,  Missouri,  and  Iowa,  and  lumber  destined 
for  points  west  and  south,  were  the  principal  items.  There  were  also 
barges  piled  high  with  bales  of  cotton  and  with  hogsheads  of  sugar, 
molasses,  and  tobacco,  which  were  sent  from  southern  plantations  to 
northern  markets  by  this  route. 

Services  of  the  canal. — In  its  day  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
contributed  more  than  any  other  influence  to  the  growth  of  northern 
Illinois.  Previously  the  farmer  had  raised  little  more  than  his  wants 
demanded  because  of  the  inacessibility  of  markets.  The  canal,  it  is 
estimated,  reduced  the  cost  of  shipping  grain  from  the  vicinity  of  La  Salle 
to  Chicago  39  cents  a  bushel.  Cheaper  freight  was  an  incentive  to  the 
cultivation  of  larger  areas  with  better  care.  The  increased  value  of 
farm  products  resulted  in  a  sharp  rise  in  land  values.  Estimated  on  the 
basis  of  the  same  crop  of  wheat  grown  at  the  same  expense,  it  was  claimed 
that  the  canal  made  the  land  about  Starved  Rock  equal  in  value  to  that 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  worth  $37 .  50  more  an  acre  than  similar  land  at 
Iowa  City. 

Homemade  goods  disappeared  after  the  opening  of  the  canal.  It 
was  no  longer  necessary  to  grind  meal  at  home  nor  to  fashion  rude 
furniture  from  the  timber  at  hand.     Food,  clothing,  implements,  and 


74  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

household  furnishings  became  more  diversified.  Especially  in  the  intro- 
duction of  more  of  the  comforts  of  life  did  the  canal  aid  in  breaking  down 
the  isolation  and  hardships  of  pioneer  conditions. 

The  first  large  foreign-born  element  was  introduced  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  canal.  The  laborers  were  mostly  Irish  and,  under  the  primi- 
tive methods  of  the  time,  were  employed  in  great  numbers.  From 
1839  to  1843  most  of  them  were  out  of  work  and  many  were  unable  to 
leave.  Their  savings  were  largely  in  the  form  of  canal  scrip,  which  fell 
in  value  to  sixteen  cents  on  the  dollar.  It  was  accepted,  however, 
at  par  in  the  purchase  of  canal  lands.  Out  of  dire  necessity  many  of  the 
Irish  bought  land  and  turned  to  farming.  When  the  good  years  came 
they  found  themselves  possessed  of  valuable  property.  The  first  settle- 
ments of  this  sort  formed,  other  countrymen  were  attracted,  and  as  a 
result  the  canal  counties  have  to  this  day  an  unusually  large  Irish 
population. 

Towns  grew  up  at  favored  locations  on  this  highway  of  commerce. 
La  Salle  became  the  river  terminus  of  the  canal.  Peru  nominally  occu- 
pied this  position,  but  because  of  the  character  of  the  flood-plain  the 
"steamboat  and  canal  basin,"  which  served  as  harbor,  was  built  above 
Peru;  here  La  Salle  was  laid  out  in  1837.  The  original  village  of  Utica 
was  on  the  river  about  where  the  road  to  Starved  Rock  crosses.  Utica 
hoped  to  secure  the  terminus  of  the  canal  and  charged  corruption  when 
the  legislature  located  it  at  Peru.  The  charge  probably  was  ill-founded, 
as  the  troublesome  character  of  the  Vermilion  shoals  was  well  known  at 
the  time  and  was  thought  to  make  an  extension  below  the  obstruction 
in  the  river  necessary.  When  the  canal  was  built  along  the  base  of  the 
northern  bluff  the  old  location  became  exceedingly  unsatisfactory. 
North  Utica  was  laid  out  on  the  canal  in  the  year  1852  and  the  older 
settlement  was  abandoned.  The  chief  occupation  of  Utica  has  been 
the  manufacture  of  hydraulic  cement  from  its  Lower  Magnesian  lime- 
stone. This  industry  was  begun  during  the  construction  of  the  canal, 
which  consumed  great  quantities  of  the  product. 

Railroad  competition  and  decline  of  the  canal. — Five  years  after  the 
completion  of  the  canal  a  railroad  was  built  parallel  to  it.  The  struggle 
which  ensued  ended  in  the  complete  triumph  of  rail  carriage  and  the 
virtual  abandonment  of  the  canal.  The  first  loss  suffered  by  the  canal 
was  that  of  the  passenger  trafiic ;  next  the  merchandise  freight  was  taken 
over  by  the  railroad.  After  1865  the  canal  tolls  declined  gradually,  and 
from  1882  its  tonnage  decreased  as  well.  At  present  the  canal  is  used 
virtually  only  by  pleasure  craft. 


GEOGRAPHY 


75 


The  advocates  of  the  canal  believed  that  rail  carriage  could  never 
compete  with  it.  Yet  the  railroad  passed  the  canal  easily,  and  after  a 
time  took  virtually  all  the  traffic,  (a)  Transportation  by  canal  was  slow. 
The  horse  could  not  compete  with  the  locomotive  in  the  carriage  of 
passengers  or  of  goods  which  were  to  reach  their  destination  quickly. 
(b)  The  canal  was  a  link  between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Illinois  River, 
and  as  such  was  dependent  largely  on  the  conditions  of  navigation  in 
these  bodies  of  water.  The  Illinois  was  subject  to  great  variations  in 
volume ;  in  summer  especially  the  water  was  often  too  low  for  navigation. 
Usually  the  periods  of  low  water  coincided  with  the  harvest,  when  great 
quantities  of  grain  were  brought  to  the  river  for  shipment,  (c)  River, 
canal,  and  lake  traffic  suffered  from  lack  of  organization.  Most  of  the 
boats  ran  without  regard  to  each  other  and  without  schedule  or  regular 
tariff.  Articulation  between  the  water  routes  was  also  lacking.  Most 
through  traffic  had  to  break  bulk  at  both  ends  of  the  canal,  (d)  The 
canal  was  closed  by  ice  from  three  to  four  months  of  every  year.  This 
meant  the  total  loss  of  all  winter  shipping,  (e)  The  canal  was  built  on  an 
inadequate  pattern  and  did  not  meet  the  demands  of  the  region  even 
at  the  time  of  its  construction.  It  had  a  minimum  depth  of^56  inches; 
locks  were  17I  feet  long;  occasional  wide  waters  allowed  boats  to  pass. 
Towage  was  entirely  by  mules  and  horses,  which  crowded  each  other 
on  the  towpath.  Had  the  upper  Illinois  country  been  forced  to  rely  on 
this  means  of  transportation  hopeless  congestion  would  have  prevailed. 
Thus,  partly  because  of  lack  of  foresight  in  its  plan,  more  largely  because 
of  poor  business  practice,  and  in  part  because  of  geographic  disadvantages, 
the  canal  gave  way  to  the  railroad,  and  is  today  in  part  a  reed-choked 
series  of  pools,  an  outworn  remnant  of  pioneer  days. 

RAILROAD   CONSTRUCTION 

In  1850  the  Rock  Island  &  La  Salle  Railroad  was  chartered  to  connect 
the  terminus  of  the  canal  with  the  Mississippi  River.  The  road  as 
planned  at  first  was  not  to  compete  with  the  canal  and  river  but  to  supple- 
ment them.  Soon,  however,  a  continuation  was  authorized  to  parallel 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  giving  all-rail  connections  between 
Chicago  and  the  Mississippi  River.  The  road  was  opened  between 
Chicago  and  La  Salle  in  the  spring  of  1853  and  immediately  became  a 
successful  competitor  in  the  traffic  of  the  upper  valley. 

The  local  line  of  the  Ilhnois  Central  was  intended  to  be  the  great 
trunk  line  of  the  state.  The  road  was  projected  to  run  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Ohio  north  to  the  Wisconsin  state  line.     It  crossed  the  Illinois 


76  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Valley  at  La  Salle  (a)  because  of  the  terminus  of  the  canal,  and  the  trans- 
shipment business  which  it  was  hoped  to  secure  at  that  point,  and 
(b)  because  the  two  Vermilion  valleys,  lying  opposite  each  other,  give 
easy  access  from  the  elevated  prairie.  The  road  reached  no  market  of 
the  first  class,  and  the  canal  did  not  bring  the  expected  business  with 
Chicago.  As  a  result  a  branch  was  built  to  Chicago,  then  one  to 
St.  Louis,  and  gradually  these  branches  became  the  main  line.  The 
old  main  line,  on  the  other  hand,  was  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a 
feeder  for  the  east  and  west  lines.  At  present  it  carries  considerable 
way-freight,  but  has  a  restricted  passenger  traffic. 

The  trunk  line  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  lies 
north  of  the  Illinois  Valley,  which  it  parallels  at  a  sufficient  distance  to 
avoid  bridging  most  of  its  tributaries.  It  has  built  or  acquired  numerous 
feeders,  two  of  which  cross  the  Illinois,  one  at  La  Salle  by  way  of  the 
Big  Vermilion,  the  other  at  Ottawa.  Both  draw  upon  the  rich  farm 
lands  and  coal  fields  of  southern  La  Salle  County. 

In  1907  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  was  extended 
to  Portland,  across  from  Deer  Park.  The  road  operates  a  large  mileage 
in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  states  deficient  in  coal.  La  Salle  and 
Bureau  counties  contain  the  most  northerly  coal  beds  in  Illinois,  and 
hence  those  nearest  the  territory  served  by  this  railroad.  This  branch 
was  built  to  tap  the  local  coal  field  and  the  Portland  cement  district 
on  the  Big  Vermilion  River. 

The  Chicago,  Ottawa  &  Peoria  Railroad  (electric)  is  a  response  to 
the  increasing  concentration  of  population  in  the  Illinois  Valley.  It 
carries  on  a  brisk  interurban  traffic  between  Joliet  and  Princeton,  and 
maintains  also  branch  lines  to  Streator  and  Ladd. 

On  the  one  hand  the  fertile  soils,  the  level  surface,  the  linear  char- 
acter of  the  Illinois  Valley,  and  the  abundance  of  coal  and  road  metal 
have  invited  the  construction  of  railroads.  In  their  turn  the  railroads 
have  made  possible  the  development  of  the  prairies,  have  attracted 
immigration,  and  have  developed  industries,  so  that  the  district  about 
the  state  park  is  now  one  of  the  foremost  industrial  centers  of  the  state. 
Foreign  immigration  was  directed  to  this  region  for  the  most  part  by 
the  railroads,  directly  or  indirectly.  The  Illinois  Central,  especially, 
financed  by  a  land  grant,  carried  on  a  vigorous  advertising  campaign, 
in  which  it  set  forth  the  richness  and  cheapness  of  its  lands.  At  this 
time  thousands  of  people  were  coming  to  America  from  Europe.  Many 
of  them  were  diverted  into  industrial  and  commercial  occupations  in 
the  eastern  states,  but  manv  more  drifted  west,  where  there  was  still 


GEOGRAPHY  77 

cheap  land.  These  were  especially  natives  of  Northern  Europe;  those 
who  came  to  La  Salle  County  were  Germans  above  all,  then  Scandi- 
navians, and  lesser  numbers  of  English,  Dutch,  Flemish,  and  others. 
They  were  mostly  of  peasant  stock  and  land-hungry.  Their  ancestors 
had  been  tillers  of  other  men's  soil  for  the  most  part;  their  one  ambi- 
tion was  to  become  freeholders.  In  many  parts  of  La  Salle  and  adjacent 
counties  the  foreign-born  outnumbered  the  native  settlers  even  before 
1865.  The  prairie  south  of  Starved  Rock  is  inhabited  largely  by  the 
sons  and  grandsons  of  German  and  Scandinavian  immigrants.  Many 
of  them  own  splendid  farms  and  are  wealthy.  Their  thrift  knd  stability 
are  valuable  assets  to  the  region. 


MINES  AND  FACTORIES 

There  are  three  industrial  districts  in  the  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock. 
The  largest  of  these  has  La  Salle  as  its  center  and  extends  from  Portland, 
on  the  Big  Vermilion,  to  Depue,  on  the  bend  of  the  Illinois.  South  of 
Starved  Rock  is  the  Streator  region  with  its  collieries  and  factories. 
On  the  east,  Ottawa  and  Marseilles  form  a  smaller  industrial  district. 

COAL   MINES 

The  distribution  of  coal  mines  is  determined  by  the  anticlinal  struc- 
ture of  the  bed  rock.  Upon  the  crest  of  the  fold  the  "Coal  Measures"  are 
wanting,  and  on  its  flanks  they  are  poorly  developed.  A  bit  of  poor 
coal  can  be  found  upon  the  bluff  back  of  Starved  Rock,  but  it  is  of  almost 
no  commercial  value.  Almost  all  the  county  lying  north  of  the  river  is 
underlain  by  formations  older  than  the  "Coal  Measures"  and  hence  with- 
out coal.  East  of  Starved  Rock  the  nearest  coal  beds  of  great  commer- 
cial importance  are  in  southeastern  Grundy  County,  almost  fifty  miles 
distant.  West  and  south  of  Starved  Rock  the  situation  is  radically 
different.  Here  the  rocks  dip  sharply  and  good  coal  is  within  sight  of 
the  crest  of  the  fold.  One  coal  mine  is  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Vermilion, 
below  Deer  Park  Glen.  Others  are  situated  across  the  river  at  Portland. 
Thence  westward,  beyond  the  limits  of  La  Salle  County,  from  four  to 
five  seams  of  coal  underlie  the  prairie.  The  seam  worked  most  largely 
is  the  Third  Vein  Coal,  which  averages  about  three  feet  thick.  About 
140  feet  higher  is  the  Second  Vein,  and  40  feet  above  it  is  the  First  Vein. 
Both  have  been  worked  to  some  extent.  In  this  western  area  the  coal 
is  buried  deeply  beneath  the  surface,  and  shafts  from  three  to  four  hun- 
dred feet  deep  are  sunk.     The  local  coal  enjoys  an  excellent  reputation 


78  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

and  is  shipped  out  in  large  quantities,  especially  to  Chicago  and  the 
North,  for  steaming  purposes. 

Outcropping  beds  of  coal  were  worked  in  early  years  at  Ottawa;  at 
Lowell,  on  the  Vermilion  River;  and  at  Split  Rock,  above  La  Salle.  In 
1853  coal  was  discovered  underground  at  La  Salle,  and  two  years  later 
the  first  shaft  was  opened.  Both  La  Salle  and  Peru  soon  found  greater 
profits  in  coal-mining  than  in  farm  trade  or  canal  traffic.  The  most 
phenomenal  growth  of  mining  in  the  county  took  place  at  Streator,  where 
the  coal  was  found  to  be  unusually  thick.  In  less  than  twenty  years  from 
the  sinking  of  the  first  shaft  this  place  had  grown  from  an  insignificant 
village  to  the  largest  city  in  the  county.  The  latest  development  has 
been  along  the  line  of  the  new  St.  Paul  branch  road.  In  1913  La  Salle 
held  fourteenth  place  among  the  coal-producing  counties  of  Illinois,  with 
a  production  of  1,382,945  tons.  Of  this  amount  La  Salle  city  was 
credited  with  797,699  tons,  or  more  than  half.  The  rich  beds  at  Streator 
are  being  exhausted,  and  this  place  had  in  that  year  a  production  of 
only  464,041  tons.  One  mine  at  Oglesby  (Portland)  produced  204,222 
tons.  The  total  number  of  miners  employed  in  the  county  was  2,895, 
of  which  1,498  were  credited  to  La  Salle,  865  to  Streator,  and  426  to 
Oglesby.^  For  this  rough  and  rather  uncertain  employment  foreign 
labor  mostly  is  used.  Italians,  Poles,  and  other  Slavic  races  are  repre- 
sented most  numerously. 

GROWTH   OF   INDUSTRIES 

The  first  industrial  establishments  of  the  region  were  water-driven 
mills  of  various  sorts.  The  period  of  active  industrial  development  began 
about  half  a  century  ago,  coincident  with  the  mining  of  coal  on  a  com- 
mercial scale.  The  presence  of  good  coal  has  been  the  principal  stimulus 
to  the  growth  of  local  manufactures.  La  Salle  and  Streator,  the  chief 
coal-mining  centers  of  the  county,  also  lead  in  manufactures.  The 
region  possesses  additional  advantages  for  industrial  enterprise.  Nu- 
merous railroads  supply  good  transportation,  and  the  canal,  although 
little  used,  is  still  a  potential  competitor.  The  region  possesses  raw 
materials  used  in  various  industries,  as  in  the  cement  mills  of  Portland 
and  the  fire-brick  works  of  Utica.  The  increase  in  industrial  plants  has 
created  a  good  supply  of  labor,  which  has  become  a  stimulus  to  further 
industrial  enterprise.  The  lower  cost  of  real  estate  and  of  taxes  has 
favored  the  dispersal  of  certain  types  of  industry  from  Chicago  into  this 
section.     Finally  the  central  location  of  this  region  in  the   corn   belt 

'Coal  Report,  Illinois,  1913,  pp.  14,  22-25. 


GEOGRAPHY  79 

has  given  it  a  certain  advantage,  not  highly  localized,  however,  in  the 
manufacture  of  articles  such  as  agricultural  implements. 

The  hydraulic-cement  industry  of  Utica  goes  back  to  the  building  of 
the  canal.  For  many  years  the  village  prospered  because  of  the  Prairie 
du  Chien  limestone  on  which  it  is  situated.  This  rock  contains  lime 
carbonate  and  clay  in  the  proper  proportions  to  form  cement  when 
burned.  For  use  under  water  it  has  long  enjoyed  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion. In  recent  years  the  scientifically  compounded  Portland  cement, 
superior  because  of  its  greater  uniformity,  has  replaced  the  older 
''natural"  article,  and  Utica's  historic  industry  has  been  crowded  out. 
At  present  the  manufacture  of  fire  brick  is  making  good  to  some  extent 
the  loss  of  the  cement  industry.  The  clays  used  in  making  fire  brick 
are  derived  largely  from  the  bluffs  west  of  Starved  Rock  and  for  a  time 
were  taken  from  pits  now  located  within  the  park. 

Portland  is  the  youngest  city  of  the  county.  In  less  than  ten  years 
it  grew  from  an  insignificant  hamlet  to  a  flourishing  city  with  a  popula- 
tion of  3,194  in  1910.  The  story  of  Portland  is  geological.  The  highest 
rock  here  is  the  La  Salle  limestone.  Immediately  beneath  it  lie  soft 
clays,  clay  shales,  and  a  thin  seam  of  coal.  At  a  greater  de^th  is  more 
and  better  coal.  The  association  of  coal,  limestone,  and  clay  gives  all 
the  requisites  for  the  manufacture  of  Portland  cement  at  minimum 
expense.  The  limestone  is  quarried,  and  the  clay  and  coal  beneath  it 
are  dug  out  of  the  same  pit.  More  coal  is  furnished  by  shafts  close 
at  hand.  The  ground  limestone  and  shale  are  mixed  and  fired  by  means 
of  the  coal.  An  added  advantage  is  the  small  amount  of  stripping 
necessary.  As  a  result  of  these  conditions  the  industry  has  thriven  to 
an  unusual  degree.  The  product  of  the  mills  here  and  at  La  Salle  finds 
a  large  sale,  not  only  in  Chicago  and  the  surrounding  prairie  regions, 
but  also  in  more  distant  places. 

The  smokestacks  of  La  Salle  and  Peru,  which  form  a  familiar 
sight  from  Starved  Rock,  belong  mostly  to  zinc  smelting  and  refining 
plants.  Since  1858  this  has  been  the  dominant  industry  of  the  Twin 
Cities.  Again,  a  peculiarly  favorable  geographical  location  is  largely 
responsible.  In  the  early  days  of  the  industry  the  zinc  ore  was  derived 
from  the  mines  of  southwestern  Wisconsin  and  northwestern  lUinois. 
In  the  smelting  of  zinc  more  fuel  than  ore  is  required.  The  concen- 
trates of  ore  were  shipped  accordingly  to  the  nearest  coal  field  on  the 
way  to  market.  This  was  the  coal  basin  of  the  upper  Illinois  Valley. 
Later  zinc  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  southwest  Missouri  also 
found  its  way  to  the  local  smelters. 


8o 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


Ottawa,  although  the  oldest  city,  has  not  developed  industries  on 
the  scale  of  the  cities  in  the  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock,  chiefly  because  of 
the  absence  of  good  coal.  One  of  the  oldest  industries  is  the  manu- 
facture of  agricultural  implements.  The  making  of  glass  has  been  the 
most  noted  industry  of  the  city.  Ottawa  lies  in  the  heart  of  extensive 
outcrops  of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone,  the  sand  of  which  is  of  high  quality 
and  easily  accessible.  Within  this  area  sand  pits  line  the  tracks  of  the 
railroads  along  the  bluffs  of  the  Illinois  and  Fox  rivers.  It  is  this 
industry  which  threatened  the  destruction  of  Starved  Rock  and  hastened 
the  creation  of  the  state  park. 

For  the  last  half-century  the  growth  of  population  in  La  Salle 
County  has  been  due  almost  entirely  to  the  advance  of  its  manufactures 
and  mines.  Since  1870  most  of  the  rural  districts  have  lost  steadily  in 
population.  The  increased  use  of  farm  machinery  and  the  gradual 
increase  in  the  size  of  the  farms  have  released  a  part  of  the  population 
that  previously  found  agricultural  employment.  Table  I  shows  the 
changes  in  population  in  the  townships  and  in  the  cities  and  villages  of 
the  Starved  Rock  region. 

TABLE  I 


1890 

1900 

1910 

Remarks 

Deer  Park  Township .  . 

Farm  Ridge  Township 
Utica  Township 

Vermilion  Township .  . 
La  Salle 

802 

1,110 
1,568 

556 
9,855 

9,98s 

5-55° 

851 

1,119 

1,582 

550 
10,446 

10,588 

6,863 

827 

1,068 
1,342 

507 
11,537 

9,535 

7,984 

3,194 

13,635 

Composed  of  large  prairie 

farms 
Rural  conditions 
Rural,     includes     Utica 

village 
Rural 
Continued    industrial 

Ottawa 

Peru 

Portland •.  .  . 

growth 
Industries   of   secondary 

importance 
Industries    increasinglj^ 

important 
Purely  industrial 

Streator 

10,880 

13,449 

Growth  checked  by  de- 
creasing    productivity 
of  coal  mines 

These  figures  show  that  year  by  year  this  region  is  becoming  dependent 
more  largely  on  industries  and  that  its  growth  is  localized  in  a  few  favored 
places,  principally  those  that  combine  coal  and  good  transportation. 
The  prairie  farms  are  as  productive  as  ever  and  more  profitable  than 
at  any  previous  time,  but  they  no  longer  dominate  the  economic  and 
social  life  of  the  county. 


GEOGRAPHY  8 1 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


At  the  settlement  of  the  region  Colonel  Hitt  entered  Starved  Rock 
and  the  bluffs  adjacent.  Other  parts  of  the  present  park  were  taken  up 
by  various  settlers.  At  that  time  the  bluff  lands  were  valued  chiefly 
as  wood  lots.  For  long  years  this  tract  had  a  quiet  and  useful  existence 
devoid  of  romantic  attachments.  Cattle  browsed  along  the  margins 
of  the  bluffs  and  occasionally  timber  was  cut  to  supply  farm  needs. 
The  growth  of  public  interest  in  Starved  Rock  was  very  slow.  When 
Francis  Parkman  visited  Utica  in  the  sixties  he  found  very*  little  known 
of  its  history.  As  long  as  agricultural  interests  were  dominant  Starved 
Rock  attained  to  no  higher  dignity  than  that  of  an  occasional  picnic 
ground.  The  growth  of  cities  near  by  and  the  improvement  of  trans- 
portation facilities  gradually  attracted  holiday  excursionists  to  the  place. 
In  1890  Walther  secured  the  property,  soon  erected  a  hotel,  and  formally 
inaugurated  Starved  Rock  as  a  summer  resort.  The  venture  was  reason- 
ably successful  from  the  outset.  Attendance  grew,  especially  after  the 
interurban  railway  was  built.  The  ferry  that  serves  Starved  Rock 
from  the  electric  line  handled  in  its  first  five  years  the  following  number 
of  people:  1904,  22,000;  1905,  31,000;  1906,  41,000;  ig&j,  41,000; 
1908,  36,000.'  In  19 10  a  second  resort  was  opened  by  the  Illini  Club  at 
Pulpit  Rock. 

At  about  the  same  time  that  Starved  Rock  and  surroundings  were 
capitalized  for  resort  purposes  several  neighboring  areas  became  recrea- 
tion grounds.  Beautiful  Deer  Park  Glen  was  purchased  by  Matthiessen, 
a  La  Salle  capitalist.  Extensive  improvements,  especially  roads  and 
shelters,  were  provided  and  the  grounds  opened  to  the  public.  Because 
of  the  liberal  attitude  of  the  owner  Deer  Park  has  enjoyed  the  highest 
popularity  with  the  public  for  years.  Buffalo  Rock  has  had  a  more 
varied  career.  Long  a  local  scenic  celebrity,  about  fifteen  years  ago 
it  became  the  headquarters  of  a  religious  sect.  Unsuccessful  as  a  bul- 
wark of  religious  dogma,  it  was  next  occupied  by  the  Buffalo  Rock  Tent 
Villa  Company  for  the  outdoor  treatment  of  tuberculosis.  At  present 
a  great  manufacturing  establishment,  the  Crane  Company  of  Chicago, 
has  made  a  playground  of  a  part  of  Buffalo  Rock  for  its  employees  and  is 
reaping  a  substantial  reward  in  the  increased  vigor  and  cohesion  of  its 
personnel. 

The  increasing  commercial  exploitation  of  the  Starved  Rock  vicinity 
and  the  danger  of  the  glass  industry,  especially  to  the  upper  canyons, 

'  Illinois  Park  Commission,  191 1,  p.  28. 


82  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

led  to  an  agitation  for  the  acquisition  by  the  people  of  Starved  Rock 
and  the  canyons  immediately  about  it.  In  this  movement  the  Geographic 
Society  of  Chicago,  the  Prairie  Club,  other  organizations,  and  numerous 
individuals  participated.  The  Forty-sixth  General  Assembly  of  the 
State  of  Illinois  took  up  the  matter  and  authorized  the  governor  to 
appoint  a  park  commission  "to  make  investigation  of  Starved  Rock  and 
its  contiguous  territory,  to  ascertain  its  adaptability  for  the  purposes  of  a 
state  park,  also  to  make  a  report  respecting  Starved  Rock,  and  respect- 
ing other  regions  desirable  for  park  purposes."  The  commission  found 
Starved  Rock  to  possess  the  four  most  desirable  requirements  of  a  state 
park  in  (a)  accessibility,  (b)  size,  (c)  moderate  cost,  and  (d)  decided  and 
uncommon  claims.  In  addition,  the  body  emphasized  the  peculiar 
geologic,  historic,  and  nature-study  interest  of  the  region.  It  also  called 
attention  to  the  "native  wildness  and  ruggedness"  as  attractions  and 
urged  their  preservation  "with  nature  as  little  modified  as  possible."  A 
recommendation  was  presented  to  the  legislature  for  the  purchase  of 
"the  Starved  Rock  property  and  the  canyons  and  picturesque  lands 
along  the  south  bank  of  the  Illinois  River  for  a  distance  of  about  four 
miles  up  the  river  from  Starved  Rock,  comprising  in  all  about  i,ooo 
acres,  for  a  state  park  and  forest  preserve  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  state  for  park  purposes,  and  as  an  object-lesson  in  forest  pres- 
ervation."^ 

The  legislature  responded  by  passing  the  act  providing  for  the  pur- 
chase and  maintenance  of  the  Starved  Rock  State  Park,  approved 
June  ID,  igii.  A  permanent  park  commission  was  established  and 
ordered  to  secure  a  tract  of  land  containing  about  1,155  acres.  For  the 
government  of  the  park  the  following  paragraphs  relative  to  mis- 
demeanors were  included: 

§  7.  Any  person  who  wilfully  destroys,  cuts,  breaks,  injures  or  removes 
any  tree,  shrub  or  plant  within  any  State  park  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor, 
and  on  conviction  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  not  less  than  ten  dollars  and 
not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars,  and  shall  stand  committed  to  the  county 
jail  until  such  fine  and  costs  are  paid. 

§  8.  Any  person  who  wilfully  destroys,  mutilates,  injures  or  defaces  any 
guide-post,  sign,  notice,  tablet,  fence,  railing,  enclosure  or  other  work  for  the 
protection  or  ornament  of  any  State  park  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and 
on  conviction  may  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  exceeding  five  hundred  dollars,  or 
be  imprisoned  in  the  county  jail  not  exceeding  three  months,  or  may  be  punished 
by  both  such  fine  and  imprisonment  in  the  discretion  of  the  court. 

'  Report  of  the  State  Park  Commission,  191 1. 


GEOGRAPHY  83 

§  8§.  It  shall  be  unlawful  to  sell,  distribute,  drink  or  give  away  any 
distilled,  spirituous,  vinous,  fermented,  malt  or  intoxicating  liquors  in  any 
quantity  whatever  within  any  public  park  acquired  by  the  State  under  the 
provisions  of  this  Act,  or  which  may  hereafter  be  acquired,  and  any  person,  by 
himself,  agent,  or  employe,  violating  the  provisions  of  this  section,  shall,  upon 
conviction,  for  the  first  offense  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than  $25.00  nor 
exceeding  $100.00,  and  for  each  subsequent  offense  be  fined  not  less  than 
$50.00  nor  more  than  $200.00,  and  imprisoned  in  the  county  jail  not  less  than 
ten  days  nor  more  than  ninety  days.  Any  shift  or  device  to  evade  the  provi- 
sions of  this  section  shall  be  held  to  be  a  violation  of  this  section,,  and  any  fine 
or  imprisonment  mentioned  in  this  section  may  be  enforced  by  indictment  or 
information  in  any  court  of  record  having  criminal  jurisdiction,  or  the  fine 
mentioned  in  this  section  may  be  sued  for  and  recovered  before  any  justice 
of  the  peace  in  the  proper  county,  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  and  in  case  of  conviction  the  offender  or  offenders  shall  stand  committed 
to  the  county  jail  until  the  judgment  and  costs  are  fully  paid. 

§  9.  The  superintendent,  guardians,  custodians  and  keepers  of  any  State 
park  are  hereby  vested  with  police  power  to  enforce  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  in  all  State  parks.' 

The  first  appropriation  consisted  of  $150,000  and  was  expended  in 
the  purchase  of  the  Walther  property  and  of  two  additional  strips,  315 
acres  in  all.  Subsequently  additional  purchases  have  been  made  until 
virtually  all  the  important  scenic  features  are  now  included  in  the  park. 
The  grounds  were  thrown  open  to  the  public  in  the  spring  of  1912,  and 
in  that  year  the  attendance  increased  to  75,000.'  The  restrictions  are 
most  reasonable ;  campers  and  picnic  parties  have  free  use  of  the  grounds, 
subject  to  the  regulations  of  the  commission.  Concessions  are  granted, 
but  the  visitor  is  guarded  against  exploitation.  By  this  act  the  state 
of  Illinois  has  fittingly  returned  its  most  historic  landmark,  situated 
among  scenery  of  rare  excellence,  to  the  people  of  the  whole  state  for 
their  free  and  perpetual  enjoyment. 

'  House  Bill  No.  390,  Illinois  General  Assembly,  191 1. 
'  Report  of  the  State  Park  Commission,  191 2,  pp.  8-9. 


PART  II 

GEOLOGY 

By  » 

Gilbert  H.  Cady 


OUTLINE 

Introduction 

General  Relations 

Geologic  Record 

Preliminary  Statement  « 

Stratigraphic  Succession 
Description  of  Strata 

Strata  below  Known  Formations 
Formations  Known  in  the  Park 
Ordovician  System 

Prairie  du  Chien  Group 
St.  Peter  Sandstone 
Platteville-Galena  Dolomite 
Pennsylvanian  System 
General  Statement 
Pottsville  Formation 
Carbondale  Formation 
No.  2  Coal 

Strata  above  No.  2  Coal 
Quaternary  System 
Pleistocene  Series 

General  Statement 

Early  Wisconsin  or  Bloomington  Drift 
Late  Wisconsin  or  Marseilles  Drift 
Glacial  Gravels  of  Uncertain  Age 
Upland  Yellow  Surface  Clay 
Gravels  of  the  Chicago  Outlet 
Recent  Deposits 
Alluvium 
Dune  Sand 

Geologic  History 

Events  during  the  Paleozoic  Era  and  Earlier 
Events  since  the  Paleozoic  Era 

Conclusion 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


INTRODUCTION 


In  the  glens,  clififs,  and  canyons  of  Starved  Rock  Park  there  is  a  story 
of  fascinating  interest.  The  sandstone  from  behind  its  moss-  and  hchen- 
covered  walls  could  tell  of  ages  that  have  gone.  The  wooded  slopes 
above  contain,  half  hidden  in  the  ferns,  fallen  leaves,  and  branches,  layers 
of  limestone,  clay,  and  coal.  Each  change  from  layer  to  layer,  from 
sandstone  to  limestone,  limestone  to  clay,  clay  to  coal,  is  significant  of 
the  passage  of  time  and  of  many  events.  Lands  have  been  worn  away 
by  the  ceaseless  attrition  of  wind,  rain,  and  running  water;  climate  has 
changed  from  warm  to  cold  and  from  dry  to  moist;  glaciers  have  come 
and  gone;  swamps  of  immense  extent  have  covered  the  land ;  countless 
races  have  existed,  each  to  live  for  years  that  are  as  but  a  day  in  the 
vast  extent  of  time,  and  then  made  way  for  another  equally  ephemeral. 
All  these  things  have  taken  place  and  many  more  equally  strange  within 
the  time  represented  by  the  rocks  of  the  park.  Geologic  processes  have 
effected  these  changes,  produced  and  destroyed  the  strata,  bowed  up 
the  sandstone  and  other  rock  layers,  and  excavated  the  valleys  and 
canyons. 

The  rock  formations  will  prove  of  interest  to  some  because  of  the 
story  that  they  tell;  to  others  they  may  have  intrinsic  interest  because 
of  their  economic  value,  several  of  the  formations  appearing  in  the  park 
being  exploited  on  a  large  scale  in  the  Illinois  Valley.  Near  the  south 
bluff  line  of  the  valley  the  bed  of  coal  known  as  "  No.  2  "  outcrops.  This 
is  one  of  the  important  coal  beds  of  the  state,  at  present  mined  chiefly  in 
the  La  Salle  region.  Below  the  coal  is  an  important  fire-clay  deposit, 
of  especial  value  in  this  region  because  of  its  proximity  to  Chicago 
markets  and  steel  furnaces.  The  sandstone  which  forms  the  cliffs  is  a 
source  of  great  quantities  of  excellent  quartz  sand.  Numerous  pits  along 
the  north  bluff  where  the  sand  is  being  quarried  are  in  sight  from  the 
top  of  Starved  Rock.  The  market  for  this  sand  extends  from  coast  to 
coast,  carload  shipments  of  foundry  sand  being  made  almost  daily  to  the 
Pacific  shipyards.  Much  of  this  sand  is  also  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  glass. 

GENERAL   RELATIONS 

By  referring  to  the  geologic  map  (Fig.  24)  the  reader  will  see  that 
the  state  park  lies  on  the  northern  border  of  the  Illinois  coal  basin  and 
but  a  short  distance  east  of  the  axis  of  the  La  Salle  anticline.  North  of 
the  coal  basin  the  surface  rocks  below  the  glacial  drift  are  of  Ordovician 
and  Silurian  age.     These  strata  are  dominated  structurally  by  a  low 


GEOLOGY  89 

inclination  to  the  east  and  west  from  the  axis  of  uplift  which  crosses  the 
state  from  Stephenson  to  Lawrence  counties,  passing  near  Freeport, 
Oregon,  Franklin  Grove,  and  about  two  miles  west  of  Starved  Rock. 
Because  of  the  good  exposures  of  the  rocks  near  the  axis  of  the  fold  in 
La  Salle  County,  especially  near  La  Salle,  this  uplift  is  commonly  known 


LEGEND 

PENNSVLVANIAN 


Fig.  24. — Geologic  map  of  north  central  Illinois,  showing  the  position  of  the  axis 
of  the  La  Salle  anticline  and  the  location  of  Starved  Rock  Park. 


as  the  La  Salle  anticline.  Along  the  axis  of  the  anticline  are  exposed  the 
oldest  rocks  of  the  state,  belonging  to  the  Lower  Magnesian  or  Prairie 
du  Chien  group  (early  Ordovician).  Because  the  strata  have  this 
anticlinal  structure  the  pattern  of  the  geologic  map  of  Illinois  north  of  the 
Illinois  coal  basin  shows  a  north  and  south  alignment  of  formation 
boundaries  more  or  less  parallel  to  the  axis  of  deformation. 

Within  the  coal  basin  the  rocks  below  the  glacial  drift  belong  to  the 
Pennsylvanian  system  or  "Coal  Measures."     These  strata  dip  south 


90 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


toward  the  center  of  the  basin,  so  that  on  the 
geologic  map  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
Pennsylvanian  rocks  extends  from  east  to  west, 
crossing  the  boundaries  and  patterns  of  the 
older  formations.  The  broad  arch  or  anticline 
of  northern  Illinois  becomes  a  much  narrower 
and  sharper  feature  within  the  coal  field.  The 
western  limb  narrows  to  one-third  of  a  mile  or 
less  in  places  (Fig.  25)  instead  of  extending  half- 
way across  the  state,  and  the  east  limb  possibly 
does  not  extend  more  than  twenty-five  miles 
from  the  crest  of  the  fold.  The  northern 
boundary  of  the  Pennsylvanian  ("Coal  Meas- 
ures") system  shows  a  conspicuous  southward 
indentation  on  the  geologic  map  along  the  axis 
of  the  anticline. 

On  the  upland  there  is,  over  the  stratified 
rocks  of  the  region,  a  mantle  of  glacial  drift  com- 
posed of  stony  clay,  sand,  and  gravel.  The 
surface  configuration  of  the  park  is  due  largely 
to  the  drift,  and  the  area  partakes  of  the 
characteristics  of  much  of  the  glaciated-plains 
province  in  which  it  lies.  Much  of  Illinois  is 
monotonously  level,  and  except  for  the  vallev 
bottoms  the  level  tracts  are  of  glacial  origin  and 
are  still  much  as  they  were  left  by  the  melting 
glaciers.  There  are,  however,  certain  belts  that 
rise  enough  above  the  general  level  of  their 
surroundings  to  be  visible  for  miles.  These 
ridges  are  terminal  moraines,  marking  successive 
relatively  stationary  positions  of  the  edge  of  the 
ice  sheet.  In  northern  Illinois  there  are  three 
important  morainic  belts  marking  three  stages 
of  ice  advance  during  the  glacial  period.  The 
position  of  these  ridges  is  shown  on  the  map 
(Fig.  26). 

Along  the  valley  between  La  Salle  and 
Ottawa  glacial  drift  is  almost  entirely  restricted 
to  the  uplands  back  from  the  edges  of  the  bluifs. 
The  valley  has  apparently  been  excavated  or 


GEOLOGY 


91 


cleaned  out.  down  to  the  level  to  which  the  ice  worked.  Bare  rock  sur- 
faces are  common  and  glacial  drift  is  almost  absent  from  the  valley  floor. 
Late  glacial  and  postglacial  waters,  including  the  former  outflow  from 
Lake  Michigan,  have  given  the  valley  its  present  form  and  aspect.     At 


T  —  -■ 
1 
1 
1 

1                         1                      ^    «               1 

1             ^Cl.nwa      ^/        Charapaigujg  ^Urbana 

L-f-,r-r       t     '-■' 

1 

1 

1        DaL 

\ 

1 

' 

'  1  ■    '   " '    ' 

' 

"I 


Fig.  26.— Glacial  map  of  northern  Illinois  (after  Leverett,  "Illinois  Glacial  Lobe," 
U.S.  Geological  Survey,  Monograph  XXXVIII). 

a  number  of  places  bordering  the  upper  Illinois  Valley,  and  here  and 
there  on  the  valley  floor,  are  rock  and  gravel  benches,  sand  bars,  and 
remnants  of  formerly  more  extensive  surfaces  which  originated  at  various 
times  during  the  excavation  of  the  valley. 


92  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

Because  the  valley  has  been  excavated  below  the  general  level  of 

the  drift  the  exposures  of  rock  in  its  walls  are  excellent.     An  almost  ideal 

structure  section  is  displayed  for  several  miles  above  and  below  Starved 

Rock,  the  details  of  which  can  almost  be  followed  in  panorama  from  the 

top  of  Starved  Rock.     About  lo  miles  to  the  east,  2^  miles  above  the 

mouth  of  the  Fox  River,  the  La  Salle  or  No.  2  coal  outcrops  near  the  water 

level  of  the  Illinois.     The  top  of  the  sandstone  formation  which  forms 

the  cliflfs  at  Starved  Rock  appears  in  the  bed  of  the  river  about  i|  miles 

downstream  below  the  outcrop  of  coal.     At  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  the 

surface  of  the  sandstone  is  about  20  feet  above  the  river  and  the  coal 

outcrops  5  to  8  feet  higher.     At  Buffalo  Rock  the  top  of  the  sandstone 

is  about  75  feet  above  the  river,  and  in  the  bluff  south  of  Starved  Rock 

about  130  feet,  the  coal  farther  south  being  15  to  20  feet  higher.     West 

of  Utica  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  the  base  of  the  sandstone  is  exposed 

and  is  sufficiently  high  above  the  valley  floor  so  that  in  places  75  to  80 

feet  of  Lower  Magnesian  dolomite  appears  below  it  in  the  bluff.     Where 

this  rock  is  exposed  much  of  the  overlying  sandstone  and  all  the  "Coal 

Measures"  strata  which  once  covered  the  region  have  been  removed. 

At  Split  Rock,  about  2  miles  west  of  LTtica,  and  at  Little  Rock,  on  the 

south  side  of  the  river  opposite,  the  strata  dip  sharply  to  the  west,  a  change 

in  the  direction  of  dip  having  taken  place  a  short  distance  to  the  east. 

The  sandstone  at  Split  Rock  dips  nearly  west  25°  to  35°,  and  the  "Coal 

Measures" above,  12°  to  15°.     This  steep  inclination  continues  for  about 

one-fourth   mile   west,   successively   younger   members   of   the   "Coal 

Measures"  appearing  in  the  valley  bluffs.     A  short  distance  westward 

the  strata  lie  horizontally,  the  La  Salle  limestone,  an  important  member 

of  the  upper  part  of  the  Pennsylvanian  series,  forming  conspicuous  cliflfs 

along  the  Illinois  and  Little  and  Big  Vermilion  rivers.     Such  is  the  effect 

of  the  steep  dip  along  the  west  limb  of  the  anticline  (Fig.  25)  that  No.  2 

coal  at  La  Salle  lies  about  350  feet  and  the  sandstone  about  1,350  below 

the  valley  floor. 

GEOLOGIC  RECORD 

PRELIMINARY   STATEMENT 

The  geologic  record  of  Starved  Rock  Park  as  read  from  the  rocks  is 
exceedingly  fragmentary.  The  events  recorded  by  the  strata  exposed 
or  known  to  underlie  this  area  stand  for  but  a  small  part  of  geologic 
time.  The  gaps  in  the  record  are  as  important  as  the  parts  preserved, 
for  it  is  known  that  these  gaps  are  represented  elsewhere  by  thousands 
of  feet  of  strata.  The  deposition  of  the  sediments  which  now  constitute 
the  bedded  rock  of  the  region  doubtless  required  millions  of  years. 


GEOLOGY 


93 


The  gaps  in  the  stratigraphic  record  are  commonly  indicated  by 
unconformable  relations  between  successive  groups  of  strata.  A  stratum 
is  said  to  be  unconformable  above   another   (i)   where  there  exists  a 


Fig.  27. — Structural  unconformity  between  coal-bearing  strata  and  underlying 
rocks,  as  at  Split  Rock  and  Deer  Park. 

discordance  in  the  actual  dip  of  the  two  strata  (Fig.  27),  implying  that 
the  lower  beds  were  involved  in  earth  movements  and  suffered  erosion 
before  the  deposition  of  the  upper;  or  (2)  where  the  upper  stratum  rests 


Fig.  28. — Erosional  unconformity  between  sandstone  and  limestone,  as  between 
the  St.  Peter  sandstone  and  Shakopee  dolomite. 


on  the  uneven  surface  of  the  lower  stratum  (Fig.  28),  implying  that 
erosion  produced  the  irregularities  in  the  surface  of  the  lower  stratum 
before  the  deposition  of  the  upper.  Unconformities  of  the  first  sort  are 
angular  or  structural  unconformities,  those  of  the  second  sort  erosional 


94 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


unconformities.  It  may  happen  that  two  series  of  strata  appear  to  be  in 
entire  conformity  when  a  study  of  the  fossils  contained  in  them  shows  a 
marked  difference  in  the  life.  This  difference  is  commonly  accounted  for 
by  assuming  an  interruption  in  deposition  between  the  two  strata.  This 
stratigraphic  relationship  has  received  the  name  dis conformity,  indicating 
a  hiatus  in  deposition  not  marked  by  structural  or  erosional  uncon- 
formity. Unconformities  and  disconformities  are  not  in  themselves 
time  indicators.  It  is  only  as  the  record  of  the  life-development  during 
the  time  represented  by  the  gap  is  found  in  the  strata  of  other  regions 
that  the  time  value  of  an  unconformity  can  be  measured.  Uncon- 
formities and  disconformities  are  regarded  as  great  when  a  great  length 
of  time  is  represented  by  the  interval.  Between  successive  strata  present 
within  the  state  park  the  relations  of  conformity,  disconformity,  and 
unconformity  exist.  Two  of  the  unconformities  at  least  are  of  sufficient 
magnitude  to  be  termed  great. 

STRATIGRAPHIC   SUCCESSION 

Table  II  shows  the  succession  of 'strata  known  to  underHe  the  park 
either  from  outcrop  or  from  exploration  by  the  drill.  The  oldest  forma- 
tions are  lowest  in  the  table.     The  position  of  important  unconformities 

is  indicated. 

TABLE  II 

Table  of  Formations  Present  in  Starved  Rock  Park 


System 


Group 


Cenozoic . 


Paleozoic . 


^     ,  jRecent  fLate  Wisconsin 

Quaternary,  .  ,         _  (Marseilles) 

[Pleistocene <|  ^^^jy  Wisconsin 

[   (Bloomington) 

Structural  iinconformity 

_           ,       .  fCarbondale 

Pennsylvanian \Pottsville 

Structural  unconformity 

[Galena  ( ?) 

fMiddle jPlatteviUe  (  ?) 

[St.  Peter 

Ordovician  .  .  .  <j  Unconformity 

I  ^  [Prairie  du  [Shakopcc 

^^o^^"" \  Chien AVic  Richmond 

Oncota 


Fonnations  the  names  of  which  are  italicized  are  known  only  from  drillings  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  park. 


To  show  the  general  relations  of  the  formations  listed  above  a 
general  table  of  geologic  time  divisions  is  presented  (Table  III).     Com- 


GEOLOGY 


95 


parison  of  the  two  tables  shows  what  a  slight  portion  of  the  whole  section 
is  represented  in  this  region. 

TABLE  III 
General  Table  of  Geologic  Time  Divisions 


Cenozoic . 


Periods 

Present 
Pleistocene 


(At  least  four  and  perhaps 
six  glacial  stages  with 
interglacial  stages) 


Mesozoic . 


Paleozoic . 


Proterozoic . 
Archeozoic . 


Pliocene 
Miocene 
Oligocene 
Eocene 

I"  Upper  Cretaceous 

I  Comanchean  (Lower  Cretaceous) 

I  Jurassic 

[  Triassic 

Permian 

Pennsylvanian  (Upper  Carboniferous) 

Mississippian  (Lower  Carboniferous) 

Devonian 

Silurian 

Ordovician  ♦ 

Cambrian 

f  Keweenawan 
I  Upper  Huronian 
I  Middle  Huronian 
[Lower  Huronian 

Archean  complex 


The  number  of  formations  underlying  the  park  is  somewhat  less 
than  in  adjacent  areas.  West  of  the  La  Salle  anticline  several  formations 
not  present  beneath  the  park  have  been  encountered  in  drilling,  and  the 
glacial  succession  also  is  more  complete. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    STRATA 
Strata  below  Known  Formations 

The  known  stratigraphic  record  of  Starved  Rock  Park  belongs  to 
fragments  of  the  later  half  of  geologic  time.  Concerning  the  strata  laid 
down  in  the  earlier  eras  nothing  is  known  except  by  inference.  These 
early  rocks  undoubtedly  underlie  the  region  as  the  base  on  which  all  the 
later  rocks  were  deposited,  but  actual  knowledge  of  the  stratigraphic 
succession  in  the  northern  part  of  Illinois  does  not  extend  down  to  the 
base  of  the  Paleozoic. 


96  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

The  oldest  Paleozoic  system  is  the  Cambrian  (p.  95).  The  upper 
division  of  this  system  probably  is  present  beneath  the  park,  as  such 
rocks  apparently  have  been  penetrated  in  wells  at  Ottawa  at  a  depth  of 
about  1,600  feet.' 

Formations  Known  in  the  Park 

ordovician  system 

Prairie  du  Chien  Group 

The  known  stratigraphic  record  begins  with  rocks  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  Qrdovician  system  belonging  to  the  Prairie  du  Chien  or  Lower 
Magnesian  group.  The  members  of  this  group  of  strata,  which  are 
known  only  by  drilling  within  the  area  mapped  (PI.  I),  are  the  Oneota 
dolomite  at  the  base;  an  intermediate  sandstone,  the  New  Richmond;  and 
the  Shakopee  dolomite,  a  magnesian  limestone,  at  the  top.  The  group 
derives  its  name  from  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wisconsin,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Wisconsin  and  Mississippi  rivers,  where  its  formations  are  exposed. 

The  Oneota  formation,  named  from  Oneota,  Minnesota,  is  not  exposed 
in  the  state.  From  drillings  it  is  known  to  have  a  thickness  of  more 
than  200  feet,  and  possibly  much  more,  in  this  part  of  Illinois.  It  is 
composed  largely  of  magnesian  limestone  or  dolomite,  but  contains  some 
massive  sandstone  and  possibly  some  shale  beds.  It  is  possible  that  the 
salt  well  at  Illinois  Canyon  taps  one  of  the  Oneota  sandstones,  rather 
than  the  Cambrian,  as  previously  suggested.  A  number  of  wells  in  this 
part  of  the  Illinois  Valley  possibly  penetrate  the  upper  dolomitic  part 
of  the  Oneota  at  a  depth  of  375  to  400  feet  below  the  valley  bottom. 
Most  of  the  wells,  however,  yield  an  adequate  supply  of  artesian  water 
at  a  shallower  depth.  The  well  at  Starved  Rock  Hotel,  which  is  a  typical 
example  of  the  deeper  wells,  has  a  depth  of  637  feet.  Table  IV  shows 
the  strata  encountered  in  drilling  the  well.  The  record  is  reproduced 
graphically  in  Fig.  29. 

The  middle  member  of  the  Prairie  du  Chien  group  is  the  water- 
bearing New  Richmond  sandstone,  named  from  New  Richmond,  Wis- 
consin. This  formation  has  a  thickness  of  80  to  90  feet  at  Ottawa,  136 
feet  at  La  Salle,  180  feet  at  Deer  Park,  and  190  feet  at  Starved  Rock. 
The  only  known  exposures  of  this  formation  in  the  state  are  along 
Franklin  Creek  near  Franklin  Grove,  Lee  County.     The  rock  is  coarse, 

'  It  is  possible  that  the  water  of  the  salt  well  north  of  Illinois  (formerly  Fishburn) 
Canyon  comes  from  Cambrian  sandstone.  A  record  of  this  well  is  not  available,  but 
drilling  is  reported  to  have  stopped  at  a  depth  of  about  900  feet.  Water  from  the 
Cambrian  rocks  in  this  part  of  Illinois  is  not  commonly  salty. 


GEOLOGY 


97 


white  sandstone,  resembling  the  St.  Peter  sandstone,  which,  however, 
is  finer  grained.  Locally  it  appears  to  contain  layers  of  limestone  or 
dolomite  as  much  as  20  feet  thick.     This  formation  is  an  important 

TABLE  IV 

Stratigraphic  Succession  in  the  Artesian  Well 

AT  Starved  Rock  Hotel' 

(Geologic  Interpretations  by  the  Writer) 

Thickness  in  Depth  in 

Feet  Feet 

St.  Peter  sandstone 28  .           28 

Shakopee  dolomite 180  208 

New  Richmond  sandstone 190  398 

Oneota  dolomite  (blue  limestone) 200  598 

Oneota  sandstone  (white  sandstone) 39  637 


100 


200 


300 


400 


600 


600    -■ 


Fig.  29. 
Hotel. 


St.  Peter 
sandstone 


source  of  artesian  water  in  the  Illinois  Valley  from  Utica  to  Seneca  and 

in  the  wells  at  Deer  Park.     Part  of  the 

water  of  the  Starved  Rock  well  probably 

is  from  this  source,  as  is  also  the  water 

of  the  artesian  wells  on  various  farms 

along   the   interurban   railway  between 

Starved  Rock  and  Buffalo  Rock. 

The  Shakopee  dolomite,  named  from 
Shakopee,  Minnesota,  is  the  upper  mem- 
ber of  the  Prairie  du  Chien  group  and 
underlies  the  St.  Peter  sandstone.  It  is 
not  known  to  outcrop  in  the  area 
mapped,  but  as  the  top  of  the  forma- 
tion is  very  irregular,  and  as  the  rock 
comes  to  the  surface  barely  one-fourth 
mile  west  of  the  park,  and  is  reported 
only  28  feet  deep  at  the  hotel  well,  it  is 
not  improbable  that  small  areas  of  the 
Shakopee  now  covered  or  obscured  may 
be  discovered  within  the  park.  It  is 
probable  that  the  rapids  formerly  exist- 
ing in  the  river  at  Starved  Rock  were 
caused  by  the  Shakopee  limestone  in  the 
bed  of  the  river,  the  sanitary  district 


-Well  at  Starved  Rock 


'  A  deeper  well  probably  reaching  the  Cambrian  sandstone  has  since  been  drilled 
a  few  feet  southeast  of  this  well. 


95  5  TA  R  VED  ROCK  S  TA  TE  PA  RK 

engineers  having  indicated  the  presence  of  rock  (probably  Shakopee)  in 
the  bed  of  the  river  from  Delbridge  Island  to  Plum  Island.  At  times 
of  very  low  water,  rock  apparently  different  from  the  St.  Peter  was  seen 
along  the  bank  of  the  river  near  the  mouth  of  Hidden  Canyon.  This 
may  be  an  outcrop  of  the  Shakopee.  It  is  thought  probable  that  the 
dolomite  is  not  far  below  the  surface  of  the  gravel  terrace  on  the  valley 
bottom  north  of  Starved  Rock  Lake,  at  the  west  end  of  the  park.  The 
numerous  springs  on  the  valley  floor  between  Starved  Rock  and  Buffalo 
Rock  and  also  the  spring  along  the  south  bank  of  the  river  near  Wildcat 
Canyon  all  possibly  indicate  the  closeness  to  the  surface  of  the  Shakopee 
from  which  the  water  probably  is  derived. 

This  formation  outcrops  in  cliffs  50  to  75  feet  high  along  the  valley 
west  of  Utica  nearly  to  Split  Rock  and  along  Pecumsaugan  Creek  for 
nearly  a  mile  above  the  Illinois  Valley.  The  Shakopee  also  underlies 
about  a  square  mile  of  the  valley  floor  west  of  the  Utica  road.  Its 
thickness  in  this  region  varies  from  1 24  feet  at  Ottawa  to  190  at  La  Salle. 
These  variations  probably  are  due  at  least  in  part  to  the  relief  of  the 
upper  surface  of  the  dolomite  as  the  result  of  erosion  before  the  deposi- 
tion of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  above.  Some  idea  of  the  nature  of  this 
old  surface  can  be  obtained  from  an  inspection  of  an  exposure  of  the 
contact  of  the  dolomite  and  sandstone  in  a  short  ravine  on  the  north  side 
of  the  valley  about  midway  between  Split  Rock  and  Lock  13  on  the 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal. 

The  Shakopee  formation  is  of  variable  character  and  contains  two 
beds  of  compact,  finely  laminated  rock  6  to  14  feet  thick,  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  hydraulic  cement.  At  one  time  three  large  mills  manu- 
factured cement  in  the  vicinity  of  Utica  (Fig.  30),  but  at  present  only  one 
plant  is  in  operation.  Aside  from  the  cement  beds  the  rock  is  rather 
open-textured  and  contains  numerous  flinty  and  siliceous  masses. 
Thin  sandy  beds  separate  more  massive  dolomitic  strata,  and  the  former 
are  in  places  ripple-marked,  while  the  dolomite  itself  is  not  uncommonly 
brecciated.  The  character  of  the  rock  suggests  that  it  was  deposited 
in  relatively  shallow  water  which  at  times  at  least  was  in  active  motion 
and  at  other  times  quiet  enough  to  allow  fine  mud  to  settle  unmixed  with 
coarser  material. 

St.  Peter  Sandstone 

In  strength  of  physiographic  expression  and  area  of  outcrop  the 
St.  Peter  sandstone  is  the  most  conspicuous  formation  in  the  park. 
Starved  Rock  itself  is  entirely  of  this  formation,  as  are  also  the  adjacent 


GEOLOGY 


99 


cliffs.  Practically  the  entire  thickness  is  exposed  in  the  hill  at  the  west 
end  of  the  park.  The  St.  Peter  sandstone  receives  its  name  from  the 
St.  Peter  (now  Minnesota)  River  of  Minnesota,  along  which  it  is  char- 
acteristically exposed.  It  is  a  white  sandstone,  almost  pure  quartz, 
the  grains  of  which  are  well  rounded  and  rather  small.  Where  fresh 
the  rock  is  commonly  rather  poorly  cemented,  but  where  a  surface  is 
exposed  the  outer  layer  becomes  hardened  by  the  deposition  of  a  cement 


Fig.  30. — Lower  Magnesian  limestone  outcropping  along  the  north  blutT  of  Illinois 
River  between  Split  Rock  and  Utica. 


from  the  evaporating  ground  water.  The  rock  is  thus  enabled  to  form 
enduring  cliffs,  in  places  having  a  height  of  nearly  the  entire  thickness 
of  the  formation; 

The  St.  Peter  sandstone  is  thought  to  have  originated  as  a  shore 
and  near-shore  deposit,  to  which  both  winds  and  waves  had  access. 
Its  purity  suggests  that  it  suffered  much  attrition  before  final  burial, 
whereby  material  softer  than  the  quartz  of  which  it  is  so  largely  composed 
was  removed.  Because  of  its  purity  and  relative  weakness  as  a  rock 
this  sandstone  is  a  very  important  source  of  high-grade  sand  for  various 


I  oo  S  TA  R  VED  ROCK  S  TA  TE  PA  RK 

purposes,  especially  for  molding  and  the  manufacture  of  glass.  Numer- 
ous quarries  or  "sand  pits,"  as  they  are  called,  can  be  seen  from  the 
summit  of  Starved  Rock  along  the  north  bluff  of  the  valley.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Ottawa  the  rock  is  excavated  by  hydraulic  methods  from  open 
pits  in  the  valley  floor. 

Its  unconformable  relations  with  overlying  and  underlying  forma- 
tions gives  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  a  variable  thickness.  The  unevenness 
of  the  surface  of  the  Shakopee  dolomite  upon  which  the  sandstone  rests 
has  been  mentioned.  This  unconformity  is  probably  the  source  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  variation  in  thickness  of  the  St.  Peter  formation, 
the  unconformity  at  the  top  not  being  so  conspicuous.  At  Ottawa  the 
sandstone  is  130  feet  thick;  at  Starved  Rock  practically  the  entire 
thickness,  145  to  150  feet,  is  exposed  in  the  south  bluff. 

The  stratigraphic  relations  with  the  overlying  formations  are  some- 
what unusual.  The  sandstone  within  the  park  is  overlain  at  one  place 
or  another  by  Platteville-Galena  dolomite,  Pottsville  clay,  Pleistocene 
gravel,  and  alluvium.  The  relation  of  the  St.  Peter  and  the  Platteville- 
Galena  is  probably  one  of  unconformity,  though  this  cannot  be  shown 
within  the  park.  At  Deer  Park,  however,  and  along  IlKnois  River  east 
of  the  mouth  of  Covel  Creek  the  dolomite  or  limestone  is  observed  to 
lie  in  hollows  in  the  surface  of  the  sandstone,  and  the  relation  is  one  of 
unconformity  (Fig.  31).  At  Starved  Rock  the  dolomite  also  seems  to  lie 
in  a  broad,  shallow  depression  in  the  sandstone,  which  extends  from  a 
point  a  short  distance  west  of  the  park  to  Pontiac  Canyon.  Where  cut 
across  by  the  Illinois  Valley  this  depression  has  a  depth  of  possibly  10  to 
15  feet,  but  it  probably  deepens  and  widens  to  the  south.  On  the  floor 
of  this  depression  a  small  thickness  of  Platteville-Galena  dolomite  is 
preserved  below  the  Pennsylvanian  shales.  Where  the  Platteville 
dolomite  is  absent,  west  of  the  basin,  Pennsylvanian  or  younger  forma- 
tions rest  on  the  St.  Peter  sandstone,  and  the  relationship  is  obviously 
one  of  unconformity. 

Platteville-Galena  Dolomite 

The  known  area  underlain  by  Platteville-Galena  dolomite  is  small, 
being  confined  to  the  basin  in  the  surface  of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone 
described  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  The  rock  outcrops  in  more  or 
less  detached  areas  in  practically  all  the  ravines  above  the  canyons  west 
from  Pontiac  Canyon.  It  has  not  been  found  east  of  Pontiac  Canyon 
in  this  area,  but  is  well  exposed  along  the  valley  of  Covel  Creek  where  it 
joins  the  Illinois,  and  it  extends  north  practically  across  the  entire  width 


GEOLOGY  loi 

of  the  valley  in  a  strip  nearly  one-half  mile  broad.  A  limestone  phase 
of  this  formation  is  well  exposed  at  the  mouth  of  Deer  Park  Canyon  and 
in  a  ravine  about  loo  feet  south.  At  Deer  Park  the  rock  dips  about  35° 
to  the  west.  Shght  exposures  of  westward-dipping  Platteville  limestone 
also  can  be  observed  near  the  level  of  the  railroad  track  for  about  150 
feet  west  of  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  at  Spht  Rock.  The  Galena  dolo- 
mite outcrops  in  the  bed  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Vermilion  River  at 
Lowell.  Within  the  park  the  Platteville-Galena  probably  is  not  more 
than  10  feet  thick.     The  thickness  increases  to  the  south  and  more  than 


^^^ 


Fig.  31. — Unconformity  between   St.   Peter   sandstone  and   Platteville-Galena 
dolomite  at  Deer  Park. 


100  feet  is  present  at  Lowell.  Where  the  full  thickness  of  the  formation 
is  present,  west  of  the  anticline  at  La  Salle  and  Oglesby,  the  formation 
has  a  thickness  of  about  350  feet. 

The  Platteville-Galena  formation  is  typically  developed  in  the  lead 
and  zinc  region  of  southwestern  Wisconsin  and  northwestern  Illinois. 
Both  the  Platteville  and  Galena  formations  have  been  identified  in  the 
Illinois  Valley,  the  Galena  outcropping  in  the  bed  of  the  river  at  Lowell, 
and  the  Platteville  beneath  is  exposed  near  the  mouth  of  Deer  Park 
Glen  at  Deer  Park.  The  limestone  exposed  in  some  of  the  side  canyons 
in  Starved  Rock  Park  is  thought,  from  its  structural  relations,  to  be 
Platteville,  but  this  is  by  no  means  certain,  and  failure  to  find  fossils 
makes  it  advisable  to  call  the  strata  Platteville-Galena  rather  than 


I02  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

simply  Platteville.  It  is  not  improbable  that  fossils  may  be  discovered 
in  some  of  the  outcrops  in  the  park  that  will  fix  the  age  of  the  strata,  as 
both  formations  commonly  are  fossiliferous. 

In  the  park  the  Platteville-Galena  is  a  dense  flinty  dolomite,  light 
gray  where  fresh,  and  dark  brownish  where  weathered.  The  rock  con- 
tains numerous  small  crystals  of  iron  pyrites  of  an  olive  color,  this 
material  probably  having  come  from  the  surrounding  "Coal  Measures" 
clay.  The  rock  outcrops  in  small  patches  along  the  bottom  and  sides 
of  the  gullies  west  from  Pontiac  Canyon  above  the  St.  Peter  sandstone, 
at  an  altitude  of  about  580  feet,  and  in  the  floor  of  the  clay  pits,  especially 
those  west  of  the  park. 

The  stratigraphic  relations  of  the  Platteville-Galena  formation  with 
overlying  and  underlying  strata  are  those  of  unconformity.  The 
nature  of  the  contact  with  the  underlying  St.  Peter  sandstone  has  been 
described.  The  contact  with  the  Pennsylvanian  rocks  is  clearly  one  of 
unconformity,  the  "Coal  Measures"  clay  lying  on  the  irregular  pitted 
surface  of  the  dolomite,  apparently  developed  by  the  weathering  of  the 
dolomite.  The  lower  part  at  least  of  the  clay  of  the  "Coal  Measures" 
probably  is  residual  material  originating  from  the  decay  of  the  lime- 
stone during  a  time  when  the  limestone  was  exposed,  previous  to  the 
Pennsylvanian  period. 

PENNSYLVANIAN    SYSTEM 

The  Pennsylvanian  system  ("Coal  Measures")  of  Illinois  is  divided 
into  three  formations:  (i)  the  Pottsville  formation  at  the  base;  (2)  the 
Carbondale  formation  (corresponding  roughly  with  the  Allegheny  series 
of  the  East),  beginning  with  No.  2  (La  Salle  or  Third  Vein)  coal  and 
extending  to  the  top  of  No.  6  (Herrin,  Belleville,  or  "Blue  band")  coal; 
and  (3)  the  McLeansboro  formation  (corresponding  approximately  to 
the  Conemaugh  series  of  the  East),  which  includes  all  strata  above  No.  6 
coal  belonging  to  the  Pennsylvanian  system.  The  last  two  divisions 
are  named  from  towns  in  southern  Illinois. 

The  Pottsville  formation  is  without  workable  coal  in  most  of  the 
state,  but  the  No.  i  coal  of  Rock  Island  and  Mercer  counties  is  in  this 
formation.  The  Carbondale  formation  contains  most  of  the  workable 
coal  beds  of  Illinois,  two  of  which  are  worked  in  this  region:  No.  2  coal 
(at  La  Salle  and  Wilmington)  and  No.  5  coal  (worked  in  one  mine  at 
La  Salle,  where  it  is  known  as  the  "Second  Vein").  Both  these  beds  of 
coal  are  worked  in  some  other  parts  of  the  state.  The  McLeansboro 
formation  contains  but  one  workable  bed.  No.  7  coal  (worked  at  Streator, 


GEOLOGY  103 

Peoria,  and  Danville).  This  coal  is  present  at  La  Salle  but  is  not 
exploited.  It  is  known  locally  as  the  "First  Vein."  In  the  La  Salle 
region  west  of  the  anticline  No.  2,  No.  5,  and  No.  7  coals  are  beUeved 
to  be  present,  but  the  identification  of  No.  5  is  somewhat  uncertain. 
East  of  the  anticline  only  No.  2  coal  is  present,  at  least  as  far  east  as 
Marseilles.  The  McLeansboro  formation  is  not  definitely  known  east 
of  the  anticline  along  the  valley,  though  if  the  upper  coal  at  Marseilles 
is  No.  7  the  McLeansboro  formation  is  present  there  in  a  small  area. 

In  order  to  summarize  the  general  relationships  of  the  Pennsylvanian 
strata  in  northern  Illinois,  the  following  condensed  section  of  the  series 
as  developed  west  of  the  anticline  near  La  Salle  is  presented  (see  Table  V; 
also  Fig.  32). 

TABLE  V 

Condensed  Section  of  Pennsylvanian  Series  West  of 
La  Salle  Anticline  near  La  Salle 

Thickness  in  Depth  in 

McLeansboro  formation:  Feet  Feet 

Shale,  clay,  thin  limestone,  and  thin  coal .  .  70                      70 

Limestone  (La  Salle  cement  rock) 23^                    93 1 

Shale,  thin  Hmestone,  and  thin  coal 1285  222 

Sandstone  and  sandy  shale 48  270 

Shale,  black  ("black  slate") 6  276 

Coal,  No.  7  (La  Salle  "First  Vein") 4^-5  281 

Clay  (underclay  or  fire  clay) 6  287 

Sandstone  and  sandy  shale 49  33^ 

Carbondale  formation: 

Shale,  black  ("black  slate") 10  346 

Coal,  No.  5  (La  Salle  "Second  Vein"),  3  to 

9  feet 6  352 

Shale,  sandy,  and  sandstone  (Vermilionville 

sandstone) 60  421 

Shale,  gray  and  black  ("  slate  ") ,  thin  lime- 
stones, and  sandstones 68  489 

Shale,  gray  ("soapstone") 15  S04 

Coal,  No.  2  (La  Salle  "Third  Vein").  3^  to 

4  feet 32  5072 

Pottsville  formation: 

Clay  (underclay  or  fire  clay) i  508 

Sandstone,  3  to  6  feet 3  511 

Clay  (fire  clay) 15  526 

Clays  and  sandstone 6o±  586 ^ 

Devonian  or  Silurian  system 


104 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


100 


200   - 


300 


400 


600 


T— r 


T~^" 


U  Salle 
limestone 


Coal  J^o.7 

Ve"-s' 


?  -- 


Coal  JVo.5 


Vermlllonville 
sandstone 


Coal  Xo.B 
-S'6-4— 


Devonian  or 
Silurian 
dolomite 


McLeansboto 
formation 


Carbondale 
formation 


Pottsville 
'  formation 


Fig.  32.— Condensed  generalized  section  of  "Coal  Measures"  in 
region. 


the  La  Salle 


GEOLOGY  105 

The  Pennsylvanian  rocks  underlying  Starved  Rock  Park  are  parts 
of  the  Pottsville  and  Carbondale  formations.  The  section  in  the  park 
begins  above  the  base  of  the  VermiUonville  sandstone,  which  in  the 
section  above  is  421  feet  below  the  surface,  and  ends  below  with  the 
fire  clay  shown  at  a  depth  of  526  feet  in  the  preceding  section.  The 
lower  60  feet,  more  or  less,  of  clays  and  sandstones  at  the  base  of  the 
Pottsville  formation  are  not  present,  nor  is  the  3  to  6  feet  of  sandstone 
shown  in  the  generalized  section  at  511  feet.  The  upper  part  of  the 
Pennsylvanian  section  as  originally  deposited  apparently  has  been 
removed.  That  the  corresponding  formations  are  at  a  nyuch  higher 
elevation  in  the  park  than  west  of  La  Salle  is  shown  in  Fig.  2. 

Pottsville  Formation 

The  Pottsville  formation  is  represented  (i)  by  the  floor  clay  or 
underclay  of  No.  2  coal  and  (2)  by  a  body  of  valuable  fire  clay  lying 
between  this  underclay  and  the  surface  of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  or 
Platteville-Galena  dolomite.  The  two  clays  are  in  contact  in  the  area 
mapped  and  are  not  readily  separable,  but  at  Deer  Park  a  sandstone 
locally  5  or  6  feet  in  thickness  separates  them.  The  clay  is  being  exca- 
vated at  numerous  pits  south  of  the  west  end  of  the  park  and  west  of 
the  area  across  the  Utica  road,  whence  it  is  hauled  by  team  or  tram  to  the 
railroad  at  Utica.  The  best  exposures  of  the  clay  are  in  these  pits. 
The  thickness  of  the  Pottsville  formation  is  variable,  due  largely  to  the 
presence  or  absence  of  the  lower  clay.  The  area  underlain  by  the  lower 
clay  seems  to  correspond  closely  to  the  area  underlain  by  Platteville- 
Galena  dolomite,  and  it  is  suspected  that  it  arose  from  this  underlying 
formation,  being  a  product  of  its  decay.  The  lower  clay  is  itself  of 
variable  thickness  because  of  the  irregularities  in  the  floor  upon  which 
it  Hes.  The  unevenness  of  this  floor  can  be  observed  in  the  pits  west  of 
the  Utica  road.  The  knobs  of  Platteville-Galena  dolomite  present  a 
relief  of  3  to  5  feet  (Fig.  t,^)  above  the  depression  between. 

The  Pottsville  clay  is  dark  to  light  drab,  structureless,  unlaminated, 
and  hence  not  called  shale.  Its  upper  part,  the  underclay  of  the  coal, 
is  commonly  darker  than  the  rest  of  the  deposit.  Where  the  clay  has 
weathered  along  the  natural  outcrop  it  commonly  has  a  yellowish  color. 
The  contact  of  the  clay  and  the  dolomite  below  is  in  most  places  marked 
by  a  layer  of  iron  sulphide  (marcasite  or  pyrite),  not  uncommonly 
associated  with  crystals  of  gypsum.  The  dolomite  may  also  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  calcareous  deposit  2  to  3  inches  in  thickness  exhibiting 
radiating  structure  and  apparently  composed  of  a  number  of  closely 


io6 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


fitting  cones,  hence  said  to  have  a  "cone-in-cone"  structure.  In  one  of 
the  gullies  lying  between  Sac  and  Kickapoo  canyons  a  large  bowlder 
of  what  was  apparently  Platteville-Galena  dolomite  possessed,  instead 
of  this  coating  of  calcareous  material  with  a  "cone-in-cone"  structure, 
a  calcareous  coating  composed  of  small  rounded  pellets  one-eighth  to 
one-fourth  inch  in  diameter,  this  structure  being  described  as  pisolitic. 
The  pisolitic  rock  commonly  is  found  between  the  upper  and  lower  clay, 
or  possibly  at  the  bass  of  the  upper  clay  where  the  lower  is  absent. 


Fig.    2ii- — Irregular   surface   of   Platteville-Galena   dolomite   below    the   "Coal 
Measures"  clay  in  clay  pits  west  of  Starved  Rock  Park. 


Bowlders  of  pisolitic  limestone  can  be  observed  lying  about  5  feet  below 
the  coal  in  the  clay  pit  along  Little  Vermilion  River  north  of  Deer  Park 
(Illinois  Clay  Products  Company),  in  which  locality  they  lie  between 
two  beds  of  clay.  In  the  floor  of  one  of  the  clay  pits  east  of  Ottawa  near 
the  road  bridge  over  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  bowlders  of  pisolitic 
limestone  apparently  lie  below  the  upper  clay,  possibly  none  of  the  lower 
clay  being  present.  Fig.  34  shows  a  pisolitic  bowlder  from  one  of  the 
clay  pits  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state  at  what  is  supposed  to  be 
the  same  horizon  in  the  Pottsville  formation.  Its  duplicate  could  be 
found  in  the  La  Salle  region. 

Throughout  the  clay,  especially  where  it  has  been  exposed  for  a 
time,  gypsum  crystals  are  rather  common.     They  may  lie  freely  on  the 


GEOLOGY 


107 


surface  in  considerable  numbers,  the  oblong,  rather  flat,  colorless  crystals, 
isolated  or  in  clusters,  being  readily  recognized,  as  there  is  nothing  similar 
with  which  to  confuse  them.  Where  not  found  on  the  surface  they 
can  generally  be  found  imbedded  in  the  clay.  Dr.  Joseph  E.  Pogue  has 
contributed  the  following  explanation  showing  the  relation  of  the  gypsum 


Fig.  34. — Bowlder  of  pisolitic  limestone  from  the  Pottsville  formation  of  south- 
western Illinois.     Similar  to  bowlders  found  in  the  Starved  Rock  region. 


crystals  to  the  iron  sulphide  (pyrite  or  marcasite)  crystals,  which  are 
also  common  ingredients  of  these  clays: 

The  rocks  of  Pennsylvanian  age,  the  so-called  "Coal  Measures,"  exposed 
in  the  La  Salle  district  are  principally  shales  carrying  a  number  of  coal  beds. 
The  La  Salle  coal  includes  seams,  concretions,  and  crystals  of  iron  sulphide, 
which  for  the  most  part  consist  of  the  mineral  marcasite,  although  some  pyrite, 
of  similar  composition  but  different  crystallization,  is  also  present.  The  shales 
in  places,  especially  where  the  beds  of  this  rock  are  exposed  on  the  surface, 
contain  disseminated  crystals  of  gypsum,  hydrated  sulphate  of  calcium,  which 


lo8  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

glisten  in  the  sunlight  as  the  rays  are  reflected  from  the  crystal  facets.  There 
is  a  significant  connection  in  origin  between  this  colorless  gypsum  and  the 
brass-yellow  marcasite  and  pyrite. 

The  iron  sulphides,  marcasite  and  pyrite,  are  commonly  present  in  coal, 
as  well  as  in  shales  which  carry  appreciable  organic  matter.  Their  develop- 
ment under  these  circumstances  seems  to  be  due  to  the  action  upon  iron-bearing 
solutions  of  hydrogen  sulphide  formed  by  decaying  organic  matter,  and  inas- 
much as  iron  is  readily  leached  from  rocks  in  the  presence  of  organic  matter, 
because  the  latter  makes  possible  the  development  of  soluble  iron  compounds, 
coal-forming  conditions  are  favorable  to  the  migration  of  iron  and  its  deposition 
in  the  form  of  sulphides.  This  has  evidently  happened  in  the  "  Coal  Measures  " 
of  La  Salle. 

At  the  present  time,  where  these  rocks  are  exposed  and  are  therefore 
undergoing  those  processes  of  weathering  which  are  typified  in  the  chemical 
change  of  oxidation,  the  iron  sulphides  find  conditions  uncongenial  to  their 
continued  existence.  Accordingly  they  take  on  oxygen,  for  which  iron  has 
such  strong  affinity,  and  in  this  way  change  to  ferrous  sulphate  and  sulphuric 
acid.  These  compounds  dissolve  in  the  ground  water  that  permeates  the  rocks, 
and  the  sulphate  solutions  thus  produced,  active  chemically  and  circulating, 
react  with  calcium  present  in  the  shales  to  form  the  mineral  gypsum.  This 
process,  wherever  conditions  were  suitable,  has  developed  through  the  shales 
the  isolated  crystals  and  crystal  clusters  that  may  be  seen  conspicuously  in  so 
many  places  where  the  rains  have  washed  away  the  crumbling  rock  and  left 
these  gypsum  specimens  strewn  over  the  surface. 

The  economic  importance  of  the  Pottsville  clays  deserves  comment. 
At  Utica,  Lowell,  and  Deer  Park  they  are  believed  to  lie  at  the  same 
horizon  as  certain  important  fire  clays  in  southwestern  Illinois,  outcrop- 
ping and  exploited  from  place  to  place  from  Colchester  on  the  north 
to  Alton  on  the  south.  Clays  mined  at  Roodhouse  and  Whitehall  lie 
at  this  horizon,  and  probably  also  the  famous  Cheltenham  clays  of 
St.  Louis.  These  clays  are  important  sources  of  raw  material  for  the 
manufacture  of  fire  brick,  pottery,  and  fireprooting,  and  the  raw  clay  is 
much  used  in  the  steel  industry  as  furnace  lining.  The  easy  accessibility 
of  these  clays  in  the  Starved  Rock  region  to  the  Chicago  market  gives 
them  an  economic  advantage  over  the  clays  at  a  greater  distance,  which 
fosters  their  exploitation. 

Carbondale  Formation 

No.  2  coal. — The  Carbondale  formation  begins  with  No.  2  coal  and 
continues  to  the  top  of  No.  6  coal.  It  includes  all  the  Pennsylvanian 
strata  of  this  area  above  the  Pottsville  clays.  No.  2  coal  is  character- 
istically developed  and  extensively  mined  west  of  the  anticline  at  La  Salle, 


GEOLOGY  109 

Oglesby,  arid  Spring  Valley.  At  La  Salle  and  Oglesby  it  is  about  100 
feet  above  sea-level.  In  the  La  Salle  shaft  of  the  La  Salle  County  Carbon 
Coal  Company,  near  the  Illinois  Central  depot  at  La  Salle,  it  is  found  at 
a  depth  of  386  feet.  West  of  the  anticline  the  coal  averages  3^  feet  in 
thickness.  In  Starved  Rock  Park  the  coal  has  an  elevation  of  about 
605  feet  along  the  Utica  road.  On  Dimmick  Hill,  along  the  state  road 
at  the  east  end  of  the  park,  it  is  about  525  to  530  feet  above  sea-level, 
and  at  Buffalo  Rock  about  535  feet.  In  this  area  the  coal  is  between 
2  and  3  feet  thick. 

Exposures  of  the  coal  are  numerous.  The  best  are  those  in  the  clay 
pits  south  and  west  of  the  west  end  of  the  park  and  along  the,road  down 
Dimmick  Hill.  Natural  exposures  are  to  be  found  along  hillsides  and 
in  many  gullies  the  entire  length  of  the  area.  Traces  of  many  old  slope 
mines  or  "coal  diggings"  can  be  found  toward  the  east  end  of  Horseshoe 
Canyon.  No.  2  coal  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  a  "long-grain"  coal, 
referring  to  its  habit  of  breaking  in  more  or  less  flat  slabby  fragments 
parallel  to  the  bedding,  as  contrasted  with  the  habit  of  some  coals  which 
break  in  chunks  with  little  reference  to  bedding.  This  characteristic, 
however,  is  not  sufficiently  conspicuous,  at  least  to  the  layman,  to  serve 
as  a  means  of  identification.  The  coal,  as  is  characteristic  of  all  Illinois 
coal,  is  intimately  laminated,  the  laminae  being  composed  of  aliernating 
dull  and  bright  bands.  The  bright  bands  are  known  as  "glance"  coal. 
It  is  commonh'  supposed  that  glance  coal  represents  the  wood  fiber 
contained  in  the  peat  from  which  the  coal  was  formed. 

Impurities  in  No.  2  coal  are  rather  numerous.  The  most  common 
impurity  is  "sulphur."  The  "sulphur"  occurs  as  streaks  or  "balls" 
of  mineralized  matter,  largely  iron  pyrites  or  sulphide  of  iron.  These 
"balls"  are  rarely  more  than  3  inches  in  diameter  or  the  streaks  rarely 
more  than  a  foot  in  length.  Such  impurities  in  coal  that  is  being  mined 
are  usually  picked  out  by  the  miners.  This  coal  rarely  contains  bedded 
impurities  such  as  clay  or  shale.  Their  absence  indicates  a  long  con- 
tinuance of  conditions  suitable  for  the  accumulation  of  peat  at  the  time 
of  its  deposition.  Practically  the  only  bedded  irregularity  interrupting 
the  succession  of  bright  and  dull  laminae  are  streaks  of  soft,  dirty,  or 
sooty  carbonaceous  material  resembling  charcoal,  and  hence  called 
mineral  charcoal,  and  also  known  as  mother  coal.  Such  material  possibly 
represents  the  oxidized  portion  of  the  peat  from  which  the  coal  was 
formed,  the  oxidation  having  taken  place  at  some  time  when  the  surface 
of  the  peat  was  uncovered  to  the  sun  and  air.  Toward  the  west  end  of 
the  park  the  coal  contains  an  impurity  the  occurrence  of  which  seems 


no  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

to  be  confined  to  a  small  area  in  this  vicinity.  Large  "bowlders"  of 
calcareous  material  lie  here  and  there  in  the  coal,  in  places  occupying 
the  whole  bed.  These  masses  are  75  per  cent  or  more  calcareous  mate- 
rial, but  are  penetrated  by  coaly  matter.  They  seem  to  be  calcareous 
petrifications  of  the  coaly  material  somewhat  resembling  concretions. 
Such  masses  have  been  observed  lying  about  the  pit  near  the  center 
section  21  south  of  Kickapoo  Canyon.  Similar  bowlders  in  the  coal 
have  been  observed  in  the  vicinity  of  Deer  Park  and  near  Lowell. 

Strata  above  No  2  coal. — There  is  some  variation  in  the  thickness  and 
distribution  of  the  Carbondale  strata  above  No.  2  coal  within  the  area. 
The  attention  of  the  reader  is  again  directed  to  the  fact  that  these  beds 
dip  slightly  to  the  east,  so  that  higher  and  higher  beds  are  exposed  in  that 
direction.  The  result  is  that  while  only  about  5  feet  of  the  Carbondale 
formation  is  exposed  above  No.  2  coal  at  the  west  end  of  the  park  about 
75  feet  is  exposed  at  the  east  end.  Further,  it  is  important,  in  order  to 
understand  the  stratigraphy,  to  regard  this  area  as  transitional  between 
the  area  west  of  the  anticline  and  the  general  area  east  of  the  anticline. 
There  is  a  very  typical  section  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Carbondale 
formation  characteristic  of  large  areas  west  of  the  fold,  while  a  different 
but  equally  persistent  section  characterizes  large  areas  east  of  the  fold. 
The  section  within  the  park  partakes  of  the  characteristics  of  both  areas, 
so  that  stratigraphic  sections  at  localities  from  Tonti  Canyon  (or  there- 
abouts) east  are  different  from  those  farther  west 

The  section  (Table  VI)  of  the  lower  part  of  the  Carbondale  formation 
measured  along  Vermilion  River  about  a  mile  below  Lowell  is  repre- 
sentative of  the  succession  in  the  west  part  of  the  park,  but  only  the 
lower  strata  are  present  there. 

As  representative  of  the  succession  to  the  west  the  section  measured 
along  Covel  Creek,  about  2  miles  east  of  the  area,  is  presented 
(Table  VII). 

Certain  members  of  the  sections  apparently  are  continuous  from 
one  region  to  the  other:  No.  16  in  the  first  section  is  the  same  as  No.  11 
in  the  second,  and  No.  14  in  the  Lowell  section  is  probably  the  same  as 
No.  8  in  the  Covel  Creek  section;  No.  6  in  the  first  section  is  apparently 
the  same  as  No.  4  in  the  second,  and  the  coal  is  the  same  in  both  sections. 
The  section  measured  along  Covel  Creek  corresponds  essentially  to  that 
outcropping  within  the  area  and  east  of  Dimmick  Hill  along  Ottawa, 
Kaskaskia,  lUinois,  and  Little  Horseshoe  canyons,  but  the  Vermilionville 
sandstone  appears  only  at  the  top  of  the  section  in  the  ravines  at  the 
east  end  of  the  area,  in  sec.  30,  T.  n  N.,  R.  3  E. 


GEOLOGY  I 

TABLE  VI 

Section  of  the  Lower  Part  of  the  Carbondale  Formation 

ALONG  Vermilion  River  below  Lowell 

(See  Fig.  35  for  Graphic  Reproduction) 

Thickness  Depth  in 

in  Feet  Feet 

16.  Sandstone  (Vermilionville) 25  25 

15.  Shale,  brown  siliceous,  micaceous 0-15  40 

14.  Shale,  black  (black  "slate") 2  42 

13.  Shale,  green,  blue,  and  gray 3  45 

12.  Limestone,  impure,  fossiliferous i\  46^ 

II.  Shale,  hard,  gray i  47^ 

10.  Shale,   hard,   calcareous,   and    carbonaceous; 

breaks  into  squarish  fragments 3I  50! 

9.  Shale,  carbonaceous,  resembling  cannel  coal.  .         I  51^ 

8.  Shale,  black 4!  56 

7.  Shale,  bluish  and  greenish 12  68 

6.  Limestone,  impure,  argillaceous,  and  sandy.  .       2^  705 

5.  Shale,  grayish  blue,  plastic 15  85^ 

4.  Shale,  gray,  calcareous,  and  with  septarian 

concretions 4  89^ 

3.  Shale,  black,  fissile  (black  "slate") 3  92^ 

2.  Shale,  gray  (" soapstone  ") 15-18  iio^ 

I.  Coal,  No.  2 3I  114 


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75 



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125    -1 

Black  shale 


Fig.  35. — Left-hand  part,  section  of  the  lower  part  of  Carbondale  formation  along 
Vermilion  River  at  Lowell.  Right-hand  part,  section  of  the  lower  part  of  Carbondale 
formation  along  Covel  Creek. 


112  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

TABLE  VII 

Section  of  the  Lower  Part  of  the  Carbondale  Formation 
ALONG  Covel  Creek 

Thickness  Depth 

in  Feet  in  Feet 

II.  Sandstone,  micaceous  (Vermilion ville) 20  20 

10.  Shale,  brownish,  siliceous 8  28 

9.  Shale,  gray 8  36 

8.  Shale,  black  (black  "slate") 2  38 

7.  Shale,  dark 8  46 

6.  Limestone i  47 

5.  Shale,  dark 6  53 

4.  Limestone,  knobby,  concretionary,  fossiliferous  5  58 
3.  Shale,  gray,  with  hard  layers  and  streaks  of 

ripple-marked  limestone 15  73 

2.  Shale,  gray 40  113 

I.  Coal,  No.  2 2^  115^ 

The  members  of  the  lower  part  of  the  section  as  measured  along 
Vermilion  River  from  No.  i  to  No.  6  outcrop  within  the  park  at  least 
as  far  east  as  Tonti  Canyon.  The  gray  shale  or  soapstone,  No.  2  of  the 
section,  is  typically  exposed  in  the  clay  pits  at  the  west  end  of  the  area. 
The  black  fissile  shale  (No.  3)  is  the  uppermost  bed  of  the  "Coal 
Measures"  along  French  Canyon,  outcropping  near  the  SE.  cor.  sec.  21, 
T.  33  N.,  R.  2  E.,  at  an  altitude  of  about  620  feet.  The  same  bed  is 
exposed  along  the  road  into  Tonti  Canyon  at  an  altitude  of  about  605 
feet.  This  black  fissile  shale  (see  Fig.  36),  locally  called  "slate,"  con- 
tains numerous  large  calcareous  concretions  or  "  niggerheads "  that  in 
places  take  up  nearly  the  entire  thickness  of  the  bed.  They  are  roundish 
and  loosely  imbedded  in  the  shale,  so  that  they  are  common  in  the  bed 
of  the  streams  along  which  the  shale  outcrops.  Overlying  the  black 
shale  is  a  bed  of  gray  shale  (No.  4  of  the  Vermilion  River  section)  con- 
taining another  variety  of  concretions.  These  are  commonly  about  a 
foot  in  diameter  and  are  composed  of  grayish  limestone  penetrated  by 
cracks  filled  with  calcite.  These  concretions  have  a  peculiar  appearance, 
resembling  the  back  of  a  turtle,  and  are  known  as  Septaria.  Toward  the 
east  end  of  the  area  the  black  shale  and  possibly  the  septarian  bed  seem 
to  change  into  a  gray  shale  carrying  lenses  of  limestone  and  possibly 
corresponding  to  No.  3  of  the  Covel  Creek  section. 

The  knobby  siliceous  impure  limestone,  which  forms  No.  6  of  the 
Vermilion  River  section  and  No.  4  of  the  Covel  Creek  section,  is  exposed 


GEOLOGY 


113 


from  place  to  place  in  the  area,  as  near  the  head  of  Wildcat  Canyon 
where  the  park  road  turns  to  the  east,  along  Tonti  Canyon  in  the  bed 
of  the  ravine  at  an  altitude  of  about  605  feet,  in  the  bed  of  La  Salle 
Canyon  at  about  590  feet,  in  Hennepin  Canyon  at  about  the  same 
altitude,  and  at  slightly  lower  elevations  in  practically  all  the  ravines 
to  the  east. 

In  the  ravines  east  of  Dimmick  Hill  the  upper  black  shales  or  "  slates  " 
are  exposed,  the  succession  from  the  siHceous  limestone  (No.  4  of  the 
Covel  Creek  section)  to  the  brownish  shale  (No.  10)  being  more  or  less 


I-iG.  30. — Black  lisbile  shale  ur    "slate"  15  to  18  feet  above  coal  No.  2 


irregular  in  occurrence,  but  apparently  containing  two  or  more  beds  of 
black  "slate,"  each  of  which  contains  " niggerheads "  or  concretions 
similar  to  those  found  in  the  lower  black  shale  (No.  3  of  the  Vermilion 
River  section).  The  section  exposed  down  Dimmick  Hill  begins  just 
below  the  horizon  of  the  siliceous  limestone  (No.  4  of  the  Covel  Creek 
section)  and  shows  the  variegated  shales  lying  above  No.  2  coal  for  a 
thickness  of  about  45  feet.  The  section  of  strata  exposed  on  this  hill 
is  shown  in  Table  VIII. 

Special  attention  is  called  to  the  relation  of  the  Vermilionville 
sandstone  to  the  underlying  beds  of  the  Carbondale  formation.  This 
sandstone  appears  to  lie  in  a  broad  depression  eroded  in  the  underlying 
shales.  In  some  places  it  is  entirely  absent  and  in  other  places  it  rests 
on  the  black  shales  overlying  the  siliceous  limestone  which  has  received 


114  STAR VED  ROCK  S TA  TE  PA RK 

considerable  mention.  The  sandstone  seems  to  be  in  the  nature  of  a 
channel  filling  of  rather  limited  distribution.  It  is  a  fine-grained  rock 
containing  many  glittering  flakes  of  white  mica  and  in  places,  at  least, 
a  large  amount  of  carbonaceous  material.  It  is  not  difficult  to  find  in 
the  rock  the  imprints  of  the  cortex  of  Carboniferous  trees. 

TABLE  VIII 
Section  at  Dimmick  Hill 


SECTION  AT  JJIMMICK  niLL 

NE.  I  NE.  i  sec.  25,  T.  33  N.,  R.  2  E 

Thid 


Thickness  Depth 

in  Feet  in  Feet 

Loess  or  clay 2  .... 

Shale,  blue  and  gray 10  10 

Limestone,  nodular 2  12 

Shale,  drab  to  grayish  green 4  16 

Shale,  dark  reddish i  17 

Shale,  blue  to  light  gray,  with  a  streak  of  coal  3 

inches  from  top 4  21 

Shale,  nodular,  locally  small  masses  of  Hmestone.  i  22 

Shale,  light  blue  or  greenish  gray 35  57 

Coal,  No.  2 2|  59^ 

Shale  (fire  clay) 3  62^ 

Sandstone  (St.  Peter) 90  152^ 

A  considerable  thickness  of  Pennsylvanian  rocks  has  apparently 
been  eroded  from  the  area  of  the  park.  It  is  not  improbable  that  essen- 
tially the  entire  succession  exposed  on  the  west  limb  of  the  anticline 
west  of  Split  Rock  and  near  Deer  Park  once  extended  over  the  fold 
(Fig.  25).  The  character  of  these  rocks  belonging  to  the  upper  part  of 
the  Carbondale  formation  and  to  the  McLeansboro  formation  is  shown 
in  the  generalized  section  given  on  page  103.  This  succession  is  well 
exposed  along  Vermilion  River  south  of  the  bridge  at  the  lower 
entrance  to  Deer  Park.  In  the  bluff  above  the  river  as  it  swings  to  the 
north  are  parts  of  the  Carbondale  and  McLeansboro  formations,  the 
strata  dipping  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  12°  to  15°.  No.  2  coal  and  the 
Pottsville  clays  outcrop  in  the  bed  of  the  river,  the  direction  of  outcrop  or 
strike  being  about  parallel  with  the  stream  where  it  flows  beneath  the 
bridge.  The  prominent  dark  streak  in  the  face  of  and  nearly  at  the  top 
of  the  bluff  to  the  south  is  coal  No.  5,  or  the  "  Second  Vein"  of  the  La  Salle 
field.  No.  7  coal  is  not  well  exposed,  but  traces  of  it  can  be  found  in 
the  river  blufT,  where  it  has  been  mined,  at  the  end  of  a  suspension  bridge 


GEOLOGY  115 

directly  south  of  the  Deer  Park  station.  The  La  Salle  limestone  outcrops 
at  the  crest  of  the  hill  west  of  Deer  Park  along  the  road  to  Oglesby  at  an 
altitude  of  about  600  feet. 


QUATERNARY    SYSTEM 

Pleistocene  Series 

The  '"Coal  Measures"  strata  are  overlain  by  the  unconsolidated 
clays  and  gravels  of  the  glacial  drift,  which  is  much  younger  than  the 
"Coal  Measures."  The  vast  time  occupied  by  the  Mesozbic  era  and 
the  Tertiary  periods  is  entirely  unrepresented  by  deposits  in  this  area. 

In  Illinois  there  are  deposits  representing  four  or  five  glacial  inva- 
sions. Between  them  there  are  soils  and  oxidized  zones  representing 
interglacial  intervals.  In  La  Salle  County  there  are  evidences  of  the 
existence  of  four  drift  sheets  and  at  least  two  interglacial  deposits  or 
oxidized  zones.  In  Starved  Rock  Park  only  two  sheets  of  drift  are 
known,  and  these  are  the  Early  Wisconsin  or  Bloomington  drift  sheet 
and  the  Late  Wisconsin  or  Marseilles  drift  sheet.  Beneath  these  two 
sheets  of  drift  there  are  in  La  Salle  County  two  older  drifts,  representing 
the  deposits  of  earlier  ice  sheets.  One  of  these  is  the  Illinoian*  and  the 
other  is  still  older.  The  interglacial  deposits  known  are  above  and  below 
the  Illinoian  drift. 

Early  Wisconsin  or  Bloomington  drift. — It  is  probable  that  the  princi- 
pal body  of  drift  in  the  park  belongs  to  the  Bloomington  stage  of  ice 
advance,  but  exposures  are  nowhere  very  good  and  determinations  are  not 
positive.  This  drift  is  of  the  same  general  age  as  all  the  great  body  of 
drift  lying  at  the  surface  between  the  Bloomington  and  the  Grand  Ridge 
or  Farm  Ridge  moraines  (Fig.  26). 

Along  the  upper  Illinois  and  its  tributaries  as  far  east  as  the  Ver- 
milion River  the  upper  till  is  of  pinkish  color,  rather  siliceous,  and  soft 
enough  to  be  easily  penetrated  by  pick  or  trowel.  It  can  be  seen  in 
characteristic  development  along  Covel  Creek  about  two  miles  east  of 
the  park  and  below  the  Lowell  bridge  along  Vermilion  River.  A  promi- 
nent natural  cut  along  the  river  in  sight  of  and  below  the  bridge  shows 
this  upper  pinkish  drift  (or  till)  near  the  surface  overlying  an  earlier 
till  of  probable  Illinoian  age. 

Within  the  area  of  the  map  pinkish  till  can  be  found  at  the  head  of 
gullies  at  the  east  end  of  the  park,  especially  at  the  head  of  lUinois 
Canyon  in  sec.  30,  T.  7,;^  N.,  R.  3  E.  The  most  easily  available  exposure, 
while  not  within  the  park,  is  close  to  it  in  the  clay  pits  west  of  the  Utica 


Ii6  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

road.  At  times  the  pits  have  shown  sections  with  a  gray  till  above  a 
pink  till  with  a  thin  gravelly  deposit  between.  The  pink  till  is  thought 
to  be  of  Early  Wisconsin  age,  the  gray  till  of  Late  Wisconsin  or  Marseilles 
age  (p.  94).     The  section  in  one  of  these  pits  is  shown  in  Table  IX. 

TABLE  IX 

Thickness 
in  Feet 

9.  Soil  and  clay,  yellow  (loess  ?) 3 

8.  Till,  gray,  upper  part  oxidized  to  a  brown  or  yellowish  tint  .  2  to  3 

7.  Sand  and  gravel,  or  a  row  of  pebbles,  few  inches 

6.  Till,  pinkish,  unoxidized 2  to  5 

5.  Shale,  gray  (" soapstone ") o  to  5 

4.  Coal,  No.  2 2  + 

3-  Clay 10 

2.  Dolomite,  Platteville-Galena + 

I.  Sandstone,  St.  Peter + 

In  places  the  pinkish  till  (No.  6)  shows  a  yellowish  oxidized  zone  10 
inches  thick  at  the  top. 

Late  Wisconsin  or  Marseilles  drift. — Along  the  Illinois  Valley  east  of 
SpUt  Rock  and  Grand  Ridge  moraine  (Fig.  26)  there  is  here  and  there  a 
thin  deposit  of  sticky  gray  clay  on  the  upland.  In  places  this  clay 
contains  pebbles  and  has  the  characteristics  of  till;  in  other  places  it 
seems  to  be  without  stones.  This  is  the  upper  gray  till  noted  in  the 
foregoing  section  at  the  clay  pits  west  of  the  park.  The  special  character- 
istics of  this  till  are  its  gray  color  and  its  close,  clayey  texture.  Material 
similar  to  this  underlies  the  surface  and  makes  up  the  great  body  of  the 
Marseilles  moraine.  Its  extension  to  the  Grand  Ridge  moraine  indicates 
that  this  moraine  probably  represents  an  advanced  position  of  the 
Marseilles  ice  sheet  during  the  Late  Wisconsin  ice  epoch. 

Besides  the  exposures  in  the  clay  pits  referred  to  above  the  gray  till 
may  be  seen  along  the  park  road  on  the  hill  east  of  La  Salle  Canyon  near 
the  SW.  cor.  sec.  23,  T.  ^t,  N.,  R.  3  E.  The  gray  till  has  been  observed 
also  along  Hennepin,  Ottawa,  Illinois,  and  Tonti  canyons  underlying  the 
yellowish  silt  loam  or  loess  that  forms  the  surface  deposit. 

Glacial  gravels  of  uncertain  age. — In  addition  to  the  tills  described  the 
glacial  drift  of  the  region  contains  abundant  gravel  deposits.  Where 
such  gravels  are  found  below  till  of  known  age  the  age  of  the  gravel  is 
fixed  within  certain  limits.  Where  the  gravel  is  found  at  the  surface 
its  age  is  more  difficult  to  fix,  especially  when  the  gravel  rests  on  bed  rock. 
This  is  the  situation  with  respect  to  certain  gravels  found  within  the  area. 


GEOLOGY  117 

The  west  end  of  Parkman  Plain  projecting  into  Horseshoe  Canyon  is 
underlain  by  a  deposit  of  gravel  25  feet  or  more  thick,  so  that  the  top 
of  the  sandstone  on  the  east  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  canyon  is  about 
that  distance  below  the  surface  of  the  rock  on  the  west  side.  The  gravel 
seems  to  be  confined  to  the  east  side  of  the  gorge  and  to  continue  south  a 
little  beyond  the  end  of  the  lane  shown  on  the  map.  Exposures  are  not 
good,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  constitution  of  the  gravel  or 
to  determine  certainly  whether  or  not  any  till  is  present. 

Similar  gravel-filled  depressions  in  the  surface  of  the  sandstone  and 
near  the  mouths  of  large  ravines  have  been  found  elsewhere  "in  the  area. 
One  of  these  deposits  is  directly  north  across  the  Illinois  at  the  east  side 
of  Higbee  Canyon  and  another  at  the  west  end  of  Buffalo  Rock.  The 
base  of  the  gravels  at  these  localities  is  at  an  elevation  between  540  and 
550  feet  above  sea-level,  possibly  being  somewhat  lower  on  Buffalo  Rock 
than  at  the  other  two  localities.  Similar  gravels  have  been  found  farther 
west  along  the  side  of  the  valley  on  the  east  side  of  a  ravine  almost  due 
north  of  Starved  Rock.  Here  the  deposit  is  seen  very  definitely  to  lie 
against  an  almost  vertical  wall  of  sandstone  which  probably  formed  one 
side  of  a  canyon.  The  base  of  this  deposit  also  is  between  540  and  550 
feet  above  sea-level.  Along  Clark  Run  north  of  Utica  there  are  a  number 
of  similar  gravel-filled  depressions,  the  most  notable  one  being  about  a 
mile  above  town,  where  a  gravel-filled  gorge  cuts  across  one  side  of  the 
present  canyon,  the  floor  having  an  altitude  of  about  560  feet.  Along 
Clark  Run  there  are  numerous  deposits  of  gravel  in  hollows  in  the  sand- 
stone, but  in  all  cases  the  rock  surface  seems  to  be  above  550  feet. 

East  of  the  park  gravel  is  known  to  fill  a  valley,  apparently  larger  than 
the  present  valley  of  the  Fox,  on  the  west  side  of  that  stream.  The  base 
of  these  gravels  is  about  530  feet  above  sea-level.  Other  gravels  are 
known  near  the  mouth  of  North  Kickapoo  Creek  between  Marseilles  and 
Seneca  and  also  along  the  south  bluff  opposite  Seneca,  the  base  of  the 
gravel  in  this  latter  place  being  below  an  altitude  of  490  feet.  Similar 
gravels  are  known  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Salle  along  Little  Vermilion  River 
and  at  Spring  Valley  along  Spring  Creek.  All  of  these  gravels  are 
uncemented,  unoxidized,  of  a  straw  color,  and  mostly  coarse  and  poorly 
sorted.  It  is  probable  that  they  are  of  relatively  recent  glacial  origin  and 
possibly  represent  ice-margin  deposits.  These  deposits  are  of  special 
significance  as  proofs  of  the  existence  of  a  drainage  line  along  the  lUinois 
before  their  deposition,  the  floor  of  which  was  apparently  at  an  altitude 
at  least  as  low  as  540  feet  at  Starved  Rock,  possibly  530  feet  or  lower  at 
Ottawa,  and  below  500  feet  at  Seneca.     Whether  this  valley  drained  to 


Il8  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

the  east  or  to  the  west  is  not  known.  In  fact  before  the  late  glaciations 
there  may  have  been  valleys  draining  westward  from  near  the  line  of  the 
anticline  in  which  the  gravels  at  Spring  Valley  and  La  Salle  were  deposited 
and  other  valleys  draining  eastward  from  the  same  divide  in  which  the 
gravels  in  the  park,  at  Ottawa,  Marseilles,  and  Seneca  were  deposited. 
The  discovery  by  Mr.  Carl  Sauer  of  glacial  drift  in  the  valley  of  the 
lUinois  near  the  Fox  River,  30  feet  below  the  known  altitude  of  the  rock 
surface  elsewhere,  and  the  occurrence  of  grooves  and  striated  surfaces  on 
the  St.  Peter  sandstone  on  the  valley  floor  in  the  sand  pit  of  the  National 
Plate  Glass  Company,  a  mile  west  of  Ottawa,  are  proof  of  the  existence 
of  a  drainage  line  along  the  valley  previous  to  the  last  glacial  advance. 
However,  neither  the  direction  of  drainage  nor  the  size  of  the  valley  has 
been  determined.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  recent  excavations  have 
removed  the  glacial  drift  and  the  grooves  in  the  valley  floor;  but  the 
gravels  and  the  valleys  in  which  they  lie  still  remain  as  evidence  of 
the  drainage  line  which  existed  before  the  last  ice  advance  over  the 
region. 

Upland  yellow  surface  clay. — On  the  upland  above  the  valley,  extend- 
ing back  to  the  flank  of  the  Grand  Ridge  moraine,  the  surface  material 
is  yellowish,  fine-grained,  rather  closely  packed  silt  loam.  It  is  of  the 
general  nature  of  loess,  and  probably  was  mainly  deposited  by  the  wind. 
It  seems  to  be  confined  to  altitudes  above  590  feet.  Where  there  are 
benches  at  about  580  feet  or  lower  along  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  as  between 
Sac  and  Fox  canyons,  this  yellow  silt  loam  is  absent.  Commonly  such 
benches  have  a  covering  of  recent  wind-blown  material,  whiter  in  color 
than  the  typical  silt  loam  and  containing  a  large  percentage  of  quartz 
grains  evidently  derived  from  the  sandstone.  The  silt  loam  has  a 
thickness  of  2  to  3  feet,  and  is  generally  present  over  the  upland.  At 
certain  places  along  the  moraine,  however,  the  silt  apparently  is  absent, 
the  gray  till  extending  to  the  grass  roots.  In  other  places  where  drainage 
is  poor  the  silt  has  become  so  mingled  with  organic  material  as  to  entirely 
disguise  its  color  and  texture,  making  it  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  recog- 
nize. This  silt  loam  is  thought  to  have  originated  during  the  glacial 
period  at  some  time  before  the  surface  fronting  the  ice  became  covered 
with  vegetation.  The  immense  dusty  flats  that  must  have  existed  at 
times  were  the  source  of  the  material,  and  its  present  distribution  and 
thickness  are  due  partly  to  original  deposition  by  the  wind  and  partly  to 
redistribution  by  running  water  and  later  winds. 

A  deposit  resembling  loess  overlies  Buffalo  Rock.  This,  however, 
is  much  mingled  with  grains  of  St.  Peter  sandstone,  so  that  it  is  believed 


GEOLOGY  119 

to  be  of  a  later  origin  than  the  upland  silt  loam,  though  it  probably  con- 
tains similar  material  blown  from  the  uplands. 

Gravels  of  the  Chicago  outlet. — The  Illinois  Valley,  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  Late  Wisconsin  period  of  glaciation,  served  as  the  outlet  of 
marginal  lakes  which  formed  between  the  ice  front  and  the  Valparaiso 
moraine  at  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan.  During  that  time  a  large 
river  flowed  through  the  valley,  perhaps  covering  its  bottom  from  side  to 
side.  Here  and  there  on  the  valley  floor,  as  in  the  lee  of  obstructions, 
gravel  deposits  were  made  by  the  outlet  river.  At  least  one  such  deposit 
lies  within  this  area  at  the  west  end  of  Buffalo  Rock.  This  deposit  is  to 
be  distinguished  from  the  higher  gravel  upon  the  rock  itsdf,  already 
described  (p.  116).  The  outlet-stream  gravel  on  the  valley  floor  is  poorly 
assorted,  warranting  no  especial  description,  but  the  form  of  the  deposit 
is  somewhat  interesting,  as  it  displays  the  features  of  a  typical  river  bar 
in  its  level  upper  surface  and  steep  downstream  termination. 

Recent  Deposits 

Alluvium. — In  certain  parts  of  the  valley  floor  there  are  depressions 
representing  what  is  believed  to  be  the  low  places  in  the  channel  of  the 
outlet  river.  The  valley  floor  from  a  point  above  Seneca  nearly  to 
La  Salle  is  a  series  of  long  low  steps  underlain  by  successive  rock*benches. 
The  steps  are  commonly  well  marked  and  extend  nearly  across  the  valley. 
One  step  in  this  area  extends  for  nearly  a  half-mile  west  in  the  NE.  \  sec. 
22,  T.  33  N.,  R.  2  E.,  from  opposite  the  mouth  of  Horseshoe  Canyon. 
The  bench  of  which  the  step  is  the  termination  has  an  altitude  of  about 
465  feet.  North  of  the  bench  is  a  depression,  flooded  by  the  high  water 
of  1915-16,  which  extends  east  past  the  middle  of  Buffalo  Rock  on  the 
north  side.  In  the  vicinity  of  Buffalo  Rock  the  depression  is  partly  filled 
by  the  gravel  at  the  west  end  of  the  rock,  and  is  in  part  occupied  by  the 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  The  surface  of  the  depression  gradually 
rises  until  it  merges  into  the  general  level  of  a  broad  bench,  which  extends 
from  the  river  to  the  north  bluff  in  the  vicinity  of  the  County  Farm  at  the 
east  end  of  Buffalo  Rock,  with  an  altitude  of  466  feet.  It  is  possible  that 
rapids  in  the  outlet  river  were  located  at  the  position  of  the  steps,  whereas 
the  deeper,  swifter,  and  smoother  current  occupied  the  places  where  the 
depressions  are  now  found.  The  present  river  has  intrenched  itself  in  the 
old  channel  floor,  and  at  the  time  of  flood  the  depressions  are  the  first 
part  of  the  valley  floor  to  be  reached  by  the  high  water,  the  rock  benches 
above  rarely  if  ever  being  flooded.  Recent  alluvium  and  peat  are  essen- 
tially restricted  to  the  lower  parts  of  these  depressions.     The  swampy 


I20  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

area  in  the  N.  \  sec.  30,  T.  7,7,  N.,  R.  3  E.,  has  the  same  origin  as  that  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river.  Ancient  alluvium  and  river  sand  of  the  outlet 
river  and  wind-blown  sand  cover  the  higher  benches  where  the  rock  does 
not  come  to  the  surface. 

Dune  sand. — Toward  the  east  end  of  Buffalo  Rock  there  is  a  small 
area  covered  by  shifting  sand,  some  of  the  hills  having  a  distinct  dunelike 
appearance.  The  material  overlying  the  rock  is  in  part  loesslike,  possibly 
derived  from  the  upland  silt  loam  or  loess,  and  in  part  sand  grains,  prob- 
ably derived  from  the  sandstone  exposed  along  the  bluffs  of  the  valley 
and  of  Buffalo  Rock.  The  rock  bench  occupying  the  southern  part  of 
sec.  19,  T.  33  N.,  R.  3  E.,  has  a  sandy  surface,  which  is  also  unstable  in 
position. 

GEOLOGIC  HISTORY 
EVENTS   DURING   THE   PALEOZOIC   ERA   AND   EARLIER 

The  known  history  of  this  region  begins  at  a  time  when  the  region 
was  the  floor  of  a  great  shallow  sea  which  covered  a  large  part  of  the 
North  American  continent.  On  the  floor  of  this  sea  were  accumulating 
sedimentary  deposits  which  varied  from  place  to  place  just  as  marine 
sediments  vary  today,  but  which  in  this  region  consisted  to  a  large  extent 
of  calcareous  material  derived  mainly  from  the  shells  and  other  secretions 
of  marine  invertebrates.  This  calcareous  material  now  makes  up  the 
Oneota  formation  of  the  Prairie  du  Chien  group  (p.  96).  Subsequently 
sand  was  deposited  on  the  limestone,  forming  what  is  now  the  New 
Richmond  sandstone.  The  deposition  of  this  sand  was  followed  by 
finer  sand  and  limestone  material  laid  down  in  a  shallow  sea,  the  waves 
of  which  in  places  left  their  impression  on  the  deposits  in  the  form  of 
ripple  marks.     This  deposit  now  forms  the  Shakopee  dolomite. 

Following  Shakopee  deposition  the  sea  withdrew,  leaving  a  limestone 
land  surface.  In  this  land  valleys  were  carved  and  erosion  and  weather- 
ing of  the  rock  proceeded  until  an  irregular  rock  surface  covered  by  a 
mantle  of  soil  resulted.  Again  there  was  an  advance  of  the  sea,  this 
time  preceded  possibly  by  great  masses  of  white  sand  washed  up  by 
waves  and  blown  inland  by  winds.  This  sand,  now  the  St.  Peter  sand- 
stone, covered  the  land,  protecting  the  rock  below  from  the  waves,  so 
that  in  places  the  old  soil  between  the  Hmestone  and  the  St.  Peter  sand- 
stone is  still  preserved.  After  its  deposition  the  sandstone  seems  to  have 
been,  at  least  locally,  above  the  sea,  for  when  the  Platteville  limestone  was 
deposited  in  the  sea  that  occupied  this  region  during  middle  Ordovician 
time  the  surface  possessed  irregularities  which  appear  to  be  due  to 


GEOLOGY  121 

erosion.  The  deposition  of  shells  and  other  calcareous  secretions  of 
marine  life,  which  were  to  make  the  Platteville-Galena  limestone  forma  • 
tions,  went  on  for  a  very  long  time  in  a  shallow  epicontinental  sea.  After 
the  deposition  of  the  Platteville  part  of  this  bifold  formation  there  was 
probably  an  interruption  in  the  sedimentation.  This  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  the  fauna  of  the  Platteville  limestone  does  not  change  gradually 
into  that  of  the  Galena.  The  faunas  of  the  two  limestones  are  distinct 
and  the  transition  types  of  life  which  record  the  transformation  of  the 
older  faunas  into  the  newer  are  found  in  other  parts  of  the  world  in 
formations  not  represented  here. 

Of  the  time  between  the  epoch  of  the  Galena  limestone  ancf  the  deposi- 
tion of  the  "Coal  Measures"  there  is  no  record  in  the  park;  but  from 
drilhngs  west  of  the  La  Salle  anticline  and  from  outcrops  east  toward 
Joliet  it  is  known  that  much  of  Illinois  lay  below  sea-level  during  parts 
of  late  Ordovician,  Silurian,  and  Devonian  periods,  and  also  that  during 
considerable  parts  of  each  of  these  periods  the  region  was  above  the  sea. 
Some  time  after  the  deposition  of  the  Galena  limestone  and  before  the 
Pennsylvanian  period  earth  movements  developed  the  La  Salle  anticline. 
It  is  suspected  that  earlier  movements  had  affected  the  Lower  Magnesiau 
strata  before  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  was  deposited,  but  whether  these 
were  restricted  to  the  axis  of  the  La  Salle  fold  is  not  known.  At  any  rate 
the  older  rock  along  the  antichne  possesses  structures  which  the  younger 
strata  above  do  not  show,  The  essential  outline  of  the  anticline  was 
determined  by  the  movement  between  middle  Ordovician  and  Penn- 
sylvanian times.  The  rocks  along  the  axis  received  about  half  their 
present  folding  at  this  time,  the  rocks  on  the  west  side  of  the  anticline 
attaining  an  inclination  of  15°  to  25.° 

Sufficient  time  elapsed  after  this  deformation  and  before  the  deposi- 
tion of  Pennsylvanian  ("  Coal  Measures")  sediments  for  the  development 
of  a  nearly  level  surface  of  erosion  across  the  deformed  beds;  in  other 
words,  the  fold  was  worn  down  to  approximate  flatness.  On  this  flattish 
surface  the  sediments  which  were  to  make  the  Pennsylvanian  strata 
were  deposited.  So  level  was  the  land  over  which  the  Pottsville  (p.  105) 
sea  advanced  that  erosion  was  sluggish  and  the  products  of  rock  weather- 
ing relatively  deep.  Over  the  limestone  surfaces,  especially,  considerable 
thickness  of  clay  had  accumulated,  the  thickness  varying  with  the  depth 
to  which  decay  had  extended.  The  advancing  sea  leveled  off  this  mantle 
of  clay  until  a  flat  sea  floor  was  produced.  Later,  when  the  sea  withdrew 
again  plants  flourished  on  a  marshy  surface.  When  they  died  their 
substance,  falling  in  marshes,  underwent  but  partial  decay  and  became 


12  2  STAR] 'ED  ROCK  S TA  TE  PA RK 

the  peat  from  which  No.  2  coal  was  developed  later.  During  the  rest 
of  the  Pennsylvanian  period,  after  the  material  of  No.  2  coal  was 
deposited,  there  was  in  this  region  an  alternation  of  shallow  marine  and 
fresh- water,  swampy,  and  land  conditions  characteristic  of  that  period. 
There  were  at  least  three  times  when  deep  peat  accumulations  were  made 
and  a  few  times  when  marine  limestone  was  being  laid  down.  With  the 
close  of  the  Pennsylvanian  period  the  marine  record  of  the  region  was 
brought  to  an  end. 

During  the  later  part  of  the  Pennsylvanian  period  and  during  the 
Permian  period  which  followed  there  was  much  crumpling  of  the  rocks 
near  the  earth's  surface.  The  eastern  mountains  in  the  Allegheny  region 
were  folded  at  this  time.  It  is  thought  likely  that  the  movement  which 
affected  the  Pennsylvanian  rocks  and  increased  the  folding  of  the  older 
rocks  in  this  region  was  coincident  with  the  disturbances  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  continent.  No  proofs  have  been  advanced,  however,  that 
this  was  the  case. 

EVENTS    SINCE    THE    PALEOZOIC   ERA 

The  events  of  Mesozoic  and  Tertiary  times  are  essentially  unrecorded 
in  this  region,  or,  if  recorded,  the  record  is  buried,  misinterpreted,  or 
unrecognized.  In  this  region  the  essential  evenness  in  height  of  the 
upland  surface  between  preglacial  drainage  lines,  suggests  that  some  time 
before  glaciation,  probably  in  the  later  part  of  the  Tertiary  period,  a 
peneplain  had  been  developed  in  this  part  of  Illinois.  Probably  in  late 
Tertiary  time  there  was  a  general  uplift  which  involved  much  of  the 
continent.  The  streams,  by  reason  of  the  uplift,  cut  rather  deep  and 
finally  wide  valleys  below  the  peneplain  surface.  These  valleys  are 
now  buried  beneath  the  drift  and  are  commonly  designated  preglacial 
valleys. 

The  largest  and  deepest  of  the  preglacial  valleys  is  beneath  the  drift 
in  Bureau  County  (Fig.  37).  The  valley  has  been  traced  south  from  the 
vicinity  of  Princeton  to  the  bend  of  the  present  Illinois  at  Bureau,  south 
of  which  the  present  valley  occupies  part  of  the  old  valley.  North  of 
Princeton  the  old  drainage  line  has  been  followed  to  the  north  line  of 
Bureau  County,  where  the  drift  is  about  500  feet  thick.  The  valley  is 
thought  by  some  to  extend  northeastward  from  this  locality  and  to  con- 
nect with  a  buried  valley  located  a  short  distance  west  of  Rochelle,  which 
in  turn  has  been  traced  to  the  Rock  River  Valley  in  the  vicinity  of  Byron. 
There  is  some  reason  for  thinking  that  the  valley  at  Princeton  connected 
to  the  west  with  the  Mississippi  along  the  line  of  the  present  valley  of 


GEOLOGY 


123 


Green  River.  Whatever  the  connections  were,  there  is  little  doubt  that 
a  large  river  occupied  a  valley  which  entered  Bureau  County  from  the 
north  and  extended  to  the  present  Illinois  Valley  south  of  the  bend  at 
Bureau.  This  valley  is  commonly  designated  the  Illinois-Rock  Valley. 
The  altitude  of  its  channel  was  at  least  as  low  as  325  to  340  feet  above 
sea-level  near  the  bend  at  Bureau. 

Other  preglacial  valleys  (shown  in  Fig.  37)  have  been  located  by 
drillings  and  by  examining  the  outcrops  along  the  Illinois  and  Vermilion 
rivers.     Their  relations  to  one  another  are  largely  hypothetical,  especially 


Fig.  37. — Sketch  map  showing  the  approximate  position  of  some  of  the  pre- 
glacial valleys  in  the  region  of  Starved  Rock. 


where  drillings  are  lacking  or  their  records  poor.  It  seems  probable, 
however,  that  tributaries  to  the  Ilhnois-Rock  joined  that  river  from  the 
east,  their  valleys  extending  approximately  to  the  axis  of  the  La  Salle 
anticline.  One  such  valley  seems  to  have  existed  a  short  distance  south 
of  the  upper  Illinois  and  another  a  short  distance  to  the  north,  and  it  is 
doubtful  whether  a  tributary  valley  more  than  two  or  three  miles  in 
length  occupied  the  position  of  the  present  Illinois  Valley  above  the  bend 
before  the  first  ice  sheet  invaded  the  region. 

In  addition  to  the  fact  that  the  drainage  of  the  region  west  of  the 
anticline  seems  to  have  been  carried  away  through  valleys  lying  north 
and  south  of  the  position  of  the  present  Illinois  in  preglacial  time  there 


1 24  ST  A  R  VED  ROCK  ST  A  TK  PA  RK 

are  other  reasons  for  believing  that  the  present  valley  is  not  preglacial.' 
Chief  among  these  may  be  cited:  (i)  the  apparently  limited  drainage 
basin  available;  (2)  the  apparent  difference  in  the  stage  of  development 
of  such  a  valley,  if  one  existed  within  the  walls  of  the  present  Illinois 
Valley,  and  the  stage  of  development  of  the  Illinois-Rock  Valley;  (3) 
the  apparent  existence  of  an  important  watershed  at  about  the  position 
of  the  La  Salle  anticline,  a  condition  of  topography  which  would  be 
unusual  immediately  adjacent  to  a  river  valley  of  the  age  of  a  preglacial 
lUinois  Valley,  if  such  a  valley  existed;  and  finally  (4)  its  course  across 
the  anticline  would  necessitate  a  rather  unusual  though  by  no  means 
unknown  relationship  of  drainage  and  structure. 

East  of  the  anticline  there  was  a  well-developed  valley  in  the  site 
of  the  present  valley  some  time  prior  to  the  last  ice  advance  over  the 
region.  Deposits  of  gravel  in  valleys  tributary  to  this  valley  before  the 
last  glaciation  have  been  described,  the  deposit  at  Parkman  Plain  (p.  117) 
being  an  example.  The  apparent  general  absence  of  glacial  till  beneath 
these  gravels  and  of  oxidized  gravel  having  the  appearance  of  great  age 
leads  to  the  belief  that  the  drainage  system  of  which  these  valleys  were 
a  part  existed  only  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Ice  Age,  possibly  after 
Illinoian  glaciation.  Regardless  of  when  it  came  into  existence,  the 
direction  of  drainage  and  size  of  the  valley  which  occupied  the  site  of 
the  present  Illinois  east  of  the  anticline  before  Wisconsin  glaciation  are 
still  uncertain. 

In  general  the  present  drainage  system  of  the  region  is  thought  by 
the  writer  to  be  of  post-Bloomington  age.  The  earliest  till  is  located 
in  preglacial  valleys,  and  the  preglacial  divides  and  valleys  probably 
held  their  position  after  the  first  glacial  period.  It  is  the  writer's 
opinion  that  the  Illinoian  ice  sheet  also  left  the  region  with  partially 
filled  interglacial  valleys  and  with  intervening  ridges  not  deeply  covered 
with  drift,  and  that  it  was  only  after  the  deposition  of  the  early  Wiscon- 
sin or  Bloomington  drift  sheet  that  the  present  system  of  drainage, 
which  bears  no  relation  to  preglacial  divides  and  rock  structure,  was 
instituted.  Others,  however  believe  that  present  drainage  relations 
were  established  earlier,  perhaps  after  the  deposition  of  the  Illinoian 
drift. 

The  events  attending  the  advance  and  retreat  of  the  Bloomington 
ice  sheet  may  be  briefly  summarized  as  follows:    Interglacial  valleys 

"  Distinction  must  be  made  between  "preglacial"  and  the  time  between  the  first 
and  last  glacial  epochs.  The  Wisconsin  glacial  epoch  was  much  nearer  the  present 
time  than  it  was  to  the  first  glacial  epoch. 


GEOLOGY  125 

were  first  aggraded  by  the  gravel  that  preceded  the  ice,  which  filled  them 
up  to  about  600  feet  above  sea-level.  In  western  La  Salle  and  Bureau 
counties  vegetation  that  fell  and  was  overwhelmed  by  the  glacial  muds 
is  now  represented  by  black  peaty  beds  which  are  locally  the  source  of 
gas  supplies  in  Bureau  and  southern  Lee  counties.  The  till  was  subse- 
quently deposited  above  the  gravel  and  peaty  beds,  while  the  ice  stood 
over  the  region. 

As  the  ice  melted  back  from  its  position  along  the  Bloomington 
moraine  the  water  along  its  front  made  its  way  down  the  course  of  the 
preglacial  Illinois  and  east  of  the  moraine  to  a  depression  across  the 
moraine  at  Peoria.  Above  Bureau  the  water  in  draining  from  the  ice 
front  cut  or  occupied  a  valley  which  followed  the  "nose"  of  the  ice  in 
its  retreat  along  the  line  of  the  present  Illinois.  If  the  present  upper 
Illinois  Valley  is  younger  than  the  early  Wisconsin  ice  sheet,  the  direc- 
tion of  the  stream  as  it  issued  from  the  ice  front  was,  it  is  believed,  largely 
fortuitous,  the  stream  flowing  on  the  drift,  above  the  rock,  its  course 
being  controlled  by  the  low  passageways  in  the  surface  of  the  drift. 
On  the  other  hand  a  valley  of  post-Illinoian  and  pre-Wisconsin  age  not 
completely  filled  with  drift  may  have  guided  the  post-Bloomington 
drainage.  There  was  at  least  one  period  of  ponding  of  waters  in  this 
shallow  valley  over  considerable  areas  above  the  bend  of  the  river  at 
Bureau.  This  is  recorded  in  a  bed  of  silt  15  to  18  inches  thick,  spread 
at  a  uniform  elevation  over  the  earlier  gravels  of  the  ice  advance.  Sub- 
sequently the  outlet  was  opened  and  fine  gravel  was  deposited  over  the 
surface. 

If  the  waters  of  the  melting  Bloomington  ice  sheet  established  the 
course  of  the  upper  Illinois  Valley,  as  the  writer  believes,  the  valley  was 
interglacial,  preceding  the  last  (late  Wisconsin)  ice  invasion.  It  is 
impossible  to  say,  however,  to  what  depth  the  river  cut  between  the 
periods  of  early  and  late  Wisconsin  glaciation. 

Just  how  far  east  the  ice  retreated  at  this  time  is  not  known,  but 
apparently  to  some  line  considerably  east  of  Starved  Rock.  The  pink 
till  of  the  early  Wisconsin  ice  sheet  is  so  conspicuously  different  from  the 
gray  till  of  the  late  Wisconsin  or  Marseilles  ice  sheet  that  it  seems  almost 
necessary  to  believe  that  the  latter  had  advanced  from  a  considerable 
distance  and  possibly  from  a  different  direction,  and  that  it  did  not 
represent  simply  a  readvance  of  an  older  ice  sheet  with  the  same  sort  of 
load. 

With  the  advance  of  the  ice  sheet  which  made  the  Marseilles  moraine 
the  area  of  the  park  again  was  covered  with  ice.     Some  time  during  this 


126  S  TA  R  VED  ROCK  S  TA  TE  PA  RK 

Stage  of  advance  the  ice  apparently  extended  as  far  west  as  the  Grand 
Ridge  moraine,  the  front  of  the  glacier  converging  toward  the  valley  from 
the  southeast  and  northeast  and  crossing  the  valley  possibly  between 
La  Salle  and  Split  Rock. 

The  waters  issuing  from  the  ice  at  Grand  Ridge  moraine  seem  to  have 
concentrated  toward  the  valley,  especially  as  the  ice  melted  back  from  the 
crest  of  the  ridge.  The  drift  was  accordingly  washed  out  as  fast  a^  left 
by  the  ice,  so  that  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley,  especially,  there  is  a 
general  absence  of  till  above  the  bed  rock  back  of  the  bluff  line,  and  the 
bed  rock  shows  evidence  of  effective  water  scour,  and  also  possibly  some 
evidence  of  ice  erosion.  During  and  subsequent  to  the  time  when  the 
ice  stood  at  the  Grand  Ridge  moraine  there  was  effective  erosion  down 
the  valley  by  the  abundant  glacial  waters. 

Some  time  after  the  retreat  from  Grand  Ridge  moraine  the  ice  front 
stood  at  the  position  of  Marseilles  moraine  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time 
to  build  a  conspicuous  ridge.  Bordering  this  ridge  up  the  valley  of  the 
Fox  are  great  quantities  of  gravel.  Toward  the  Illinois  these  gravels  are 
less  conspicuous,  apparently  because  they  were  washed  down  the  Illinois 
by  the  waters  which  concentrated  in  the  valley  from  the  north  and  south 
along  the  front  of  the  ice.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  valley  for  a  long 
distance  to  the  west  and  extending  up  to  the  moraine  became  filled  with 
the  gravel.  Conspicuous  remnants  of  this  gravel  train  from  the 
Marseilles  ice  front  are  to  be  seen  in  the  terraces  bordering  the  valley 
from  Hennepin  south  to  Peoria.  Later  streams  which  occupied  the 
Illinois  Valley  seem  to  have  effectively  scoured  out  this  gravel  from  the 
narrower  part  of  the  trench  above  Bureau. 

The  ice  finally  melted  back  from  the  moraine  at  Marseilles,  possibly 
leaving  a  low  place  along  the  line  of  the  Illinois  where  waters  had  escaped 
from  the  ice  front.  When  the  ice  entirely  melted  from  the  region  there 
remained  back  of  the  Marseilles  ridge  a  broad  open  depression  the  floor 
of  which  was  lower  than  the  outlet  down  the  Illinois  Valley.  In  this 
depression  Lake  Morris  existed  temporarily.  Probably  the  clear  waters 
discharging  from  this  lake  were  effective  in  clearing  out  the  narrower  part 
of  the  valley  below  much  of  the  Marseilles  gravel.  Eventually  the  outlet 
was  sufficiently  lowered  to  draw  off  the  waters  of  the  lake. 

After  its  retreat  from  the  Marseilles  ridge  the  ice  front  stood  for  a 
long  time  at  the  Valparaiso  moraine  east  of  Joliet.  The  waters  from  this 
ice  drained  down  the  Des  'Plaines  and  Kankakee  rivers  into  the  Illinois, 
the  gravel  train  from  this  moraine  extending,  it  is  said,  as  far  as  Morris. 
The  waters  beyond  continued  to  be  efficient  in  widening  and  deepening 


GEOLOGY  127 

the  valley  and  in  further  clearing  out  the  Marseilles  gravel.  Later  the 
Ilhnois  became  the  outlet  of  the  glacial  lakes  which  formed  between  the 
ice  and  Valparaiso  moraine  at  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan, 
Great  quantities  of  water  seem  to  have  drained  along  this  valley  at 
several  times  during  the  various  stages  of  these  ice-margin  lakes,  and  they 
seem  to  have  been  very  effective  in  scouring  out  and  in  deepening  and 
widening  the  valley. 

The  isolation  of  Starved  Rock  and  Buffalo  Rock  from  the  upland 
and  other  peculiar  features  of  the  valley  are  believed  to  date  back  to  a 
time  when  the  valley  was  occupied  by  a  large  stream,  the  head  of  which 
was  much  higher  than  the  bottom  of  the  present  valley.  At  this  time  a 
depression  may  have  existed  south  of  Starved  Rock,  between  it  and  the 
upland  to  the  south.  A  part  of  the  water  of  the  stream  followed  this 
depression  and  its  erosion  isolated  the  two  "rocks,"  making  them 
islands. 

When  finally  the  IlHnois  ceased  to  be  the  outlet  of  Lake  Chicago  the 
stream  immediately  shrank  approximately  to  its  present  size  and 
occupied  only  the  lowest  place  in  the  channel  carved  by  its  larger 
ancestor.  Since  that  time  the  Illinois  above  the  axis  of  the  anticline  has 
been  intrenching  itself  in  the  floor  of  the  valley,  whereas  to  the  west, 
where  the  floor  of  the  outlet  river  was  much  lower  than  to  the  east,  the 
present  river  is  filling  rather  than  cutting. 

After  the  ice  left  the  region  but  probably  before  vegetation  had 
attained  a  vigorous  growth  the  finer  particles  of  the  surface  of  the  drift 
were  moved  about  considerably  by  the  wind.  The  effect  finally  was  to 
produce  a  covering  of  rather  fine  silt  which  overlies  most  of  the  region 
above  the  valley.  This  material  ever  since  its  first  deposition  has  been 
more  or  less  in  motion,  since  it  is  constantly  being  carried  to  lower  levels 
by  rain  wash,  moved  about  by  the  winds  when  dry  and  not  held  by 
vegetation,  and  subject  to  many  changes  in  position  through  the  agency 
of  animals  and  plants.  The  peat,  alluvium,  and  wind-blown  deposits 
of  the  valley  are  obviously  of  relatively  recent  origin,  having  been  formed 
since  the  river  shrunk  to  its  present  size. 


CONCLUSION 

To  each  lover  of  nature  Starved  Rock  with  its  beautiful  ravines  and 
canyons  tells  a  different  story.  The  rocks,  the  shape  of  the  valley,  and 
other  geologic  phenomena  that  may  be  observed  afford  a  foundation 
of  facts  upon  which  the  story  must  be  built.     But  vast  eons  of  time  are 


128  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

represented  and  much  regarding  the  events  that  have  taken  place  is  left 
to  the  imagination.  Even  those  best  informed  differ  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  facts  as  seen,  because  rarely  are  things  seen  exactly  alike. 
While  it  is  hoped  that  the  main  features  of  the  description  and  history  as 
presented  are  essentially  accurate,  it  is  beyond  expectation  that  the 
details  will  meet  with  the  agreement  of  all.  Indeed  it  is  hoped  that 
sufficient  interest  in  the  geology  of  the  region  will  be  aroused  by  the  de- 
scription to  foster  further  investigations  and  that  the  result  will  be  a 
more  accurate  understanding  of  the  events  that  have  taken  place. 


PART  III 

BOTANY 

By 
Henry  C.  Cowles 


INTRODUCTION 

The  state  of  Illinois,  which  often  is  known  as  the  prairie  state,  has 
within  its  boundaries  extensive  areas  of  natural  forest  land.  Almost 
the  entire  southern  portion  of  the  state  originally  was  completely  covered 
with  timber.  In  the  northern  and  central  portions  of  the  state  there  was 
originally  timber  in  many  areas,  although  perhaps  the  most  typical 
bird's-eye  view  must  have  been  that  of  the  prairie.  In  central  and 
western  Illinois  particularly  the  original  timber  was  found  mostly  along 
streams.  Such  a  situation  essentially  is  seen  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Starved  Rock.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  uplands  away  from  the 
Illinois  River  originally  was  prairie.  There  is  now  practically  none  of 
this  original  prairie  vegetation  left,  since  the  soil  has  been  found  to  be 
admirably  adapted  for  agricultural  purposes.  In  striking  contrast  with 
the  natural  upland  prairie  are  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Illinois  River  and 
the  adjoining  bluffs  and  canyons.  All  of  this  territory  was  originally 
covered  with  heavy  timber.  Enough  of  this  timber  is  left  to  enable  us 
to  form  a  picture  of  what  it  must  have  been.  In  considering  the  vegeta- 
tion of  the  Starved  Rock  area  it  will  be  convenient  to  take  it  up  under 
four  heads:  the  upland  oak  forest,  the  canyons,  the  river  bluffs,  and  the 
bottom  lands. 

THE  OAK  FOREST  UPLANDS 

At  the  present  time  the  margin  of  the  upland  is  more  or  less  covered 
with  oak  forest.  It  may  be  supposed  that  originally  this  oak  forest 
extended  farther  back  than  it  does  at  present.  Doubtless  the  farmers 
who  first  broke  the  adjoining  land  came  as  near  to  the  edge  of  the  bluff 
as  was  practicable,  breaking  not  only  prairie  land  but  also  some  of  the 
oak  forest  land  as  well.  A  large  part  of  the  present  upland  forest  area  is 
pastured,  so  that  the  original  vegetation  has  largely  been  destroyed, 
except  as  to  the  trees.  In  some  places,  especially  near  the  Wild  Cat  and 
French  canyons,  the  natural  undergrowth  may  still  be  seen.  The 
prevailing  tree  species  here  are  the  white  oak  {Quercus  alba),  the  red  oak 
{Q.  rubra),  the  bur  oak  (Q.  macrocarpa),  and  the  black  oak  {Q.  velutina). 
Associated  with  these  frequently  is  the  shagbark  hickory  (Carya  ovata), 
and  occasionally  some  single  specimens  of  other  species  of  trees.  As  a 
rule  the  red  oak  and  white  oak,  together  with  the  hickory,  make  up  the 

131 


132  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

dominating  element  of  these  upland  forests  (Figs.  5  and  8,  pp.  10  and  13). 
The  bur  oak  is  particularly  abundant  toward  the  margins  of  the  prairie. 
So  true  is  this  that  one  may  often  determine  the  approaching  prairie  edge 
as  he  goes  through  the  forest  by  noting  the  replacement  of  red  and  white 
oaks  by  bur  oaks.  The  black  oak  is  particularly  characteristic  of  the 
more  sterile  places,  such  as  the  drier  areas  very  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
bluffs. 

No  attempt  will  be  made  to  detail  the  undergrowth  characteristic  of 
the  oak  forest,  partly  because  it  has  been  so  largely  destroyed,  but  also 
partly  because  the  average  visitor  to  the  Starved  Rock  region  is  interested 
mostly  in  the  canyons  and  the  river  bluffs.  It  may  be  noted,  however, 
that  such  shrubs  as  the  hazel  (Corylus  americana),  the  low  blueberry 
{Vaccinium  pennsylvaniciim) ,  and  the  huckleberry  (Gaylussacia  baccata), 
and  such  herbs  as  the  bracken  fern  (Pkris  aquilina)  and  the  interrupted 
fern  {Osmunda  Claytoniana) ,  are  rather  characteristic  of  these  places. 

THE  CANYONS 

Doubtless  the  average  visitor  to  Starved  Rock  is  most  attracted  to 
the  canyons,  which  are  places  of  great  interest  and  beauty.  The  lover 
of  plants  also  finds  here  much  that  is  interesting  and  beautiful  and  is 
continually  impressed  with  the  large  number  of  species  found  that  ordi- 
narily are  rare  or  absent.  In  a  later  portion  of  this  section  some  atten- 
tion will  be  paid  to  the  question  of  the  origin  of  such  rare  and  isolated 
species.  Perhaps  the  most  significant  single  feature  of  the  plant  life 
of  the  canyons  is  the  display  of  the  lower  forms  of  plant  life,  notably 
liverworts,  mosses,  and  algae.  In  the  wetter  places,  as  at  the  bases 
of  the  walls,  and  particularly  in  the  places  where  water  drips  constantly, 
one  may  find  a  luxuriant  growth  of  green  algae  and  blue-green  algae  of 
various  species.  The  liverworts  are  most  abundant  toward  the  bottom 
of  the  canyons  on  the  walls  that  are  perennially  moist  but  yet  not  exposed 
to  the  constant  flow  nor  the  even  drip  of  water.  There  are  very  few 
places  in  the  United  States  where  the  abundance  of  species  and  indi- 
viduals of  liverworts  equals  that  of  the  Starved  Rock  canyons  (Fig,  11, 
p.  16).  Among  the  more  conspicuous  liverworts  may  be  noted  Cono- 
cephalus,  Marchantia,  Pellia,  Blasia,  Reboulia,  Scapania,  and  Anthoceros. 
Conocephalus  perhaps  is  the  most  abundant  of  the  above  and  may 
readily  be  identified  by  the  division  of  the  plant  body  into  obvious 
compartments  and  also  by  the  rather  pleasant  resinous  odor.  Reboulia 
is  especially  characteristic  of  the  drier  but  not  of  the  driest  portions  of 


BOTANY  133 

the  canyon  walls.  Very  frequently  the  bases  of  the  walls  are  completely 
covered  by  a  pure  growth  of  liverworts  of  one  or  more  species.  Doubtless 
the  great  abundance  of  these  plants  in  the  canyons  is  due  in  large  measure 
to  the  highly  favorable  growth  conditions,  and  especially  to  the  constant 
supply  of  moisture,  but  it  is  also  likely  that  a  large  factor  in  the  matter 
is  the  relative  absence  of  competition  on  the  part  of  the  larger  plants. 
Very  few  species  of  the  larger  plants  are  able  to  grow  to  advantage  on 
steep  rock  walls,  whether  moist  or  dry.  Carpets  of  various  mosses 
are  frequently  found  on  the  canyon  walls.  Some  species  of  mosses 
are  able  to  grow  in  places  much  drier  than  those  frequented  by  the 
liverworts. 

Since  the  sandstone  of  the  canyon  walls  readily  breaks  up  into  sand 
a  place  suitable  for  the  growth  of  higher  plants  is  frequently  presented. 
The  erosion  of  the  walls  also  is  notably  differential,  resulting  in  a  series  of 
shelves  and  recesses.  Wherever  the  sand  accumulates  to  a  considerable 
extent  or  wherever  slight  shelves  project,  various  ferns  and  other  shade 
plants  are  found  in  abundance.  Several  species  of  ferns  are  peculiarly 
characteristic  of  the  shelves  of  moist  canyons.  Perhaps  the  most  note- 
worthy species  of  this  sort  is  the  bulb  fern  {Cystopteris  bulbifera),  which 
often  forms  pure  stands  of  considerable  beauty  in  the  moister  crevices 
and  recesses  of  the  canyons.  This  fern  is  of  much  interest,  smce  it  is 
distributed  largely' by  means  of  pecuhar  bulbs  which  grow  on  the  back 
portion  of  the  leaf  in  summer.  These  bulbs  readily  fall  off  and  develop 
further  whenever  they  happen  to  find  lodgment  in  a  favorable  situation. 
In  Illinois,  at  least,  this  fern  is  relatively  rare  and  is  practically  confined 
to  rock  canyons.  There  are  two  other  ferns  of  similar  habitat,  viz.,  the 
slender  cliff  brake  {Cryptogramma  Stelleri)  and  the  walking  fern  (Camp- 
tosonis  rhizophyllus).  Both  of  these  ferns  occur  near  Starved  Rock, 
usually  on  limestone,  but  neither  of  them  has  been  found  by  the  author 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  state  park.  On  ledges  or  at  the  bottoms  of 
cliffs,  where  the  rocks  have  broken  up  into  sand  to  a  somewhat  greater 
extent,  one  may  find  two  other  plants  which  are  relatively  rare  in  this 
portion  of  Illinois,  viz.,  the  wild  hydrangea  (Hydrangea  arbor escens)  and 
the  goatsbeard  {Aruncus  Sylvester). 

When  vertical  erosion  in  the  canyons  gives  way  to  considerable  lateral 
erosion,  so  that  the  vertical  walls  become  transformed  into  steep  or  ulti- 
mately into  gentle  slopes,  there  can  be  found  many  species  of  plants  gen- 
erally characteristic  of  ravines  and  moist  woods  (Figs.  10, 11, 13, 14, 19,  on 
pp.  15, 16, 18, 19,  24  and  Fig.  38,  on  p.  134).  Among  such  plants  which  are 
relatively  common  in  Illinois  are  jack-in-the-pulpit  (Arisaema  triphyllum), 


134 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


bloodroot  (Sanguinaria),  bellwort  (Uvidaria),  trillium,  hepatica,  bishop's- 
cap  {Mitella  diphylla),  and  water  leaf  {Ilydrophyllum).     Such  habitats 


Fig.  38. — A  fern  bank,  representative  of  the  luxuriant  mesophytic  vegetation  of 
the  Starved  Rock  canyons. 

are  particularly  rich  in  ferns,  and  all  visitors,  even  those  having  no  par- 
ticular love  for  botany  or  plant  life,  wonder  at  the  great  variety  and 
beauty  of  the  ferns  of  the  Starved  Rock  canyons  (Fig.  11  on  p.  16,  and 


BOTANY  135 

Fig.  38).  No  attempt  will  be  made  here  to  give  a  complete  list  of  the 
ferns,  but  the  following  may  be  noted  as  especially  typical  of  the  canyon 
slopes:  spinulose  shield  fern  {Aspidiuni  spmulosum),  the  marginal  shield 
fern  (.4.  marginale),  the  ostrich  fern  {Onoclea  Strtithiopteris),  the  Christ- 
mas fern  (Polystichum  acrostichoides) ,  the  maidenhair  fern  {Adiantum 
pedatiim),  the  bladder  fern  (Cystopteris  fragilis),  the  beech  fern  {Phegop- 
teris),  and  those  of  the  spleenworts  {Asplenium  angusiifolium,  A.  acros- 
tichoides, and  A.  Filix-femina) .  Among  the  characteristic  shrubs  of  the 
canyons  are  the  red-berried  elder  {Sambucus  racemosa),  the  pawpaw 
{Asimina  triloba),  the  water  beech  (Carpinus  caroliniana),  tjie  prickly 
gooseberry  (Ribes  Cynosbati),  the  witch-hazel  {Hamamelis  virginiana), 
the  wahoo  {Evonymus  atropurpureus),  and  the  yew  {Taxus  canadensis). 
The  last-named  shrub,  the  yew,  is  particularly  noteworthy  because  it  is 
a  very  rare  shrub  in  central  Illinois  (Fig.  11).  It  is  found  very  sparingly 
in  the  state  park  and,  as  will  be  noted  later,  is  one  of  the  most  significant 
species  of  the  region  in  a  historical  sense.  The  red-berried  elder  is 
another  noteworthy  shrub,  relatively  rare  in  Illinois  and  readily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  black-berried  elder,  not  only  by  the  color  of  the 
berries,  but  also  by  the  fact  that  its  flower  clusters  are  not  flat-topped. 
Among  the  more  characteristic  trees  of  the  canyon  slopes»are  the 
sugar  maple  {Acer  saccharum)  and  the  linden  {Tilia  americana).  Per- 
haps the  most  characteristic  woody  vine  of  the  canyons  is  the  Virginia 
creeper  {P  seder  a  qiiinquefolia).  Frequently  this  species  is  rooted  high 
up  on  the  canyon  walls  or  even  at  the  extreme  top  of  the  wall,  making  a 
striking  appearance  as  it  hangs  down  toward  the  bottom  of  the  canyon. 
A  similar  appearance  sometimes  is  presented  by  the  gooseberry,  since  it 
also  sends  down  long  pendulous  shoots  when  rooted  on  the  higher  shelves 
of  the  canyon  walls. 

THE  RIVER  BLUFFS 

Probably  the  most  spectacular  features  of  the  region  are  the  isolated 
crags  known  as  Starved  Rock  and  Lovers'  Leap  (Figs.  4,  5,  and  9, 
pp.  9,  10,  and  14).  These  rocks,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  canyons, 
present  slopes  to  the  full  exposure  of  the  sun  and  wind.  Consequently 
these  slopes  are  almost  always  dry  and,  further,  are  lacking  in  the  con- 
ditions or  the  kinds  of  life  so  characteristic  of  the  canyons.  The  plants 
found  on  the  exposed  bluffs  are  the  kinds  of  plants  that  are  found  in 
dry  areas,  usually  in  mountains  or  other  rocky  regions.  Since  the  bluffs 
break  up  so  readily  into  sand,  certain  portions  back  of  the  edge  present 
conditions  in  some  respects  comparable  to  sand-dune  areas,  so  far  as  the 


^36 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


vegetation  types  are  concerned.  One  who  is  familiar  with  the  sand- 
dune  vegetation  of  Lake  Michigan  will  find  here  many  familiar  species. 
On  the  most  exposed  portions  of  the  bluffs  one  sometimes  finds  places 
entirely  bare  of  plants.  Usually  this  is  not  because  no  plants  can  be 
found  that  are  suited  to  such  places,  but  rather  because  the  rock  erodes 
away  so  rapidly  that  the  plants  cannot  get  a  ready  foothold. 


Fig.  39. — The  crest  of  Lover's  Leap,  showing  the  white  pine  in  a  characteristically 
xerophytic  situation.     Note  the  horizontal  roots  on  the  flat-topped  sandstone. 


On  portions  of  the  cliffs  which  are  not  subject  to  extremely  rapid 
erosion,  especially  such  portions  as  have  the  sand  grains  cemented  by 
iron,  one  may  frequently  find  pioneer  lichens  of  various  kinds  (as  the 
reindeer  lichen,  Cladonia  rangiferina)  and  also  certain  mosses  that  are 
extremely  tolerant  of  drought.  Among  such  mosses  one  may  frequently 
note  species  of  the  haircap  moss  (Poly  trie  hum).  In  places  almost  as  dry 
one  may  find  a  very  interesting  mosslike  fern  (Selaginella  rupestris),  a 
species  that  is  relatively  rare  in  Illinois.  In  the  crevices  and  recesses  of 
the  rock  one  may  occasionally  find  two  other  ferns  rare  in  this  state, 
viz.,  Woodsia  Ilvensis  and  the  cliff  brake   (Pellaea  atropurpurea).     In 


BOTANY  137 

places  not  quite  so  dry  there  is  still  another  fern,  Polypodium  vulgare. 
The  occurrence  here  of  the  cliff  brake  is  especially  noteworthy  since  it 
is  a  fern  that  is  generally  regarded  as  confined  to  limestone.  Other 
herbs  that  are  especially  characteristic  of  the  bluffs  are  the  harebell 
(Campanula  rotundifolia) ,  Houstonia  purpurea,  the  blue  toadflax  (Linaria 
canadensis),  the  lousewort  (Pedicularis  canadensis),  the  western  wall- 
flower {Erysimum),  the  birdfoot  violet  {Viola  pedata),  Cerastiiim  arvense, 
and  Baptisia  bracteata.  Several  shrubs  occur  on  the  drier  portions  of 
the  bluffs,  viz.,  the  dwarf  juneberry  {Amelanchier) ,  the  chokeberry 
{Pyriis  melanocarpa),  the  huckleberry  (Gaylussacia  haccata),  the  common 
low  blueberry  {Vaccinium  pennsylvanicum) ,  the  Canada  blueberry 
{V.  canadense),  the  ninebark  {Physocarpus  opulifoliiis),  and  the  bush 
honeysuckle  {Diervilla  Lonicera).  Three  species  of  evergreen  trees 
(Figs.  6,  9,  pp.  II,  14,  and  Fig.  39)  are  especially  characteristic  of  the 
bluffs,  viz.,  the  white  pine  {Pinus  Strobus),  the  arbor  vitae  {Thuya 
occidentalis) ,  and  the  red  cedar  {Juniperus  virginiana). 

A  somewhat  surprising  feature  of  the  blufifs  is  the  presence  in  dry 
exposed  situations  of  a  number  of  plants,  especially  shrubs,  common  also 
to  swamps  and  bogs.  At  first  the  presence  of  the  same  species  in  two 
such  different  habitats  was  very  difficult  to  explain,  but  recent  investiga- 
tions have  shown  that  the  conditions  for  the  absorption  of  water  in  many 
bogs  are  hardly  less  favorable  than  on  dry  rocks.  Among  the  plants 
that  mav  be  noted  as  common  to  such  apparently  diverse  habitats  are 
the  chokeberry,  huckleberry,  juneberry,  arbor  vitae,  and  white  pine. 
Other  characteristic  bog  plants  found  also  on  the  Starved  Rock  bluffs  are 
the  cinnamon  fern  {Osmunda  cinnamomea),  the  winter  berry  {Ilex  verti- 
cillata),  the  mountain  holly  {Nemopanthus  mucronata) ,  the  swamp  saxi- 
frage {Saxifraga  penmsylvanica) ,  and  the  water  horehound  (Lycopus). 
Most  of  the  latter  species,  as  well  as  most  of  the  preceding  species  in  the 
list  of  bluff  plants,  have  various  means  whereby  the  rapid  loss  of  water 
through  transpiration  is  very  greatly  diminished.  For  example,  they 
contrast  strikingly  with  the  plants  of  the  canyons  in  having  such  features 
as  abundance  of  hairs,  thick  skins,  small  size,  reduced  surface  of  plant 
body,  compact  growth,  etc. 

THE  BOTTOM  L.\NDS 

Much  less  than  the  canyons  and  the  bluffs  do  the  bottom  lands  at 
the  present  time  show  conspicuous  examples  of  natural  vegetation, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  highly  desirable  for  agricultural  purposes.  Perhaps 
no  lands  in  Illinois  are  more  suitable  for  luxuriant  crops  of  corn  than  are 


138 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


these  lands  subject  to  periodic  overflow.  Only  on  the  margins  of  the 
bottom  lands  (Fig.  2,  p.  7)  or  on  small  islands  (Fig.  40)  in  the  river  may 
one  get  a  picture  of  the  luxuriant  natural  vegetation  that  once  covered  the 
flood-plain  of  the  Illinois  River.  On  the  margins  of  the  islands,  and  of 
the  bottom  land  generally,  where  the  overflow  by  the  river  is  a  regularly 
recurring  phenomenon,  one  finds  as  a  rule  representatives  of  two  kinds  of 
plants:  first,  amphibious  swamp  plants  that  are  readily  able  to  with- 
stand submergence  or  emergence,  and  second,  short-lived  annuals  that 


m 


Fig.  40. — A  recently  developed  island  in  the  Illinois  River,  near  Starved  Rock. 
The  pointed  end  with  the  younger  growth  is  the  downstream  end. 


spring  into  existence  in  late  spring,  after  the  freshets  have  subsided. 
Among  the  characteristic  swamp  perennials  are  various  species  of  cress 
{Radicula)  and  dock  {Rumex).  Among  the  short-lived  annuals  may  be 
noted  the  giant  ragweed  {Ambrosia  trifida)  and  the  cocklebur  {Xanthium). 
The  giant  ragweed  is  particularly  striking  in  view  of  its  rapid  and  luxuri- 
ant growth.  Probably  no  other  native  plant  in  our  climate  is  able  to 
grow  to  such  a  height  within  the  limits  of  a  single  short  season.  One 
frequently  finds  specimens  on  the  rich  bottom  lands  of  this  gigantic 
herb  extending  to  a  height  of  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  forming  a  dense 
miniature  forest. 

On  the  edge  of  the  flood-plain  there  are  certain  characteristic  shrubs 
and  trees,  among  which  the  willows  are  most  conspicuous,  particularly 


BOTANY  139 

Salix  fluvialilis  and  S.  nigra.  These  willows  frequently  form  a  fringe, 
giving  material  aid  in  the  protection  of  the  bottom  lands  from  erosion. 
Back  of  the  willows  one  finds  such  characteristic  bottom  land  trees  as 
box  elder  {Acer  Negundo),  the  river  maple  {A.  saccharinum) ,  the  walnut 
{Juglans  nigra),  hackberry  {Celtis  occidentalis) ,  the  white  ash  (Fraxinus 
americana),  and  the  cottonwood  (Populus  deltoides).  On  somewhat 
drier  places  are  found  the  following  trees,  relatively  rare  in  most  parts 
of  northern  Illinois:  The  Kentucky  coffee-tree  {Gymnocladiis  canaden- 
sis), the  honey  locust  {Gleditsia  triacanthos),  and  the  redbud  (Cercis 
canadensis). 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  STARVED  ROCK  VEGETATION 
I.      ANCIENT  HISTORY 

For  our  present  purpose  it  is  not  necessary  to  consider  conditions 
previous  to  the  Pleistocene  Ice  Age.  When  the  ice  overspread  northern 
Illinois  it  is  obvious  that  vegetation  such  as  the  present  could  not  have 
existed  in  the  Starved  Rock  region.  We  may  imagine  that  the  species 
now  present  there  could  at  that  time  have  been  found  in  the  southern 
United  States.  Following  the  last  retreat  of  the  glacial  ice  we  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  vegetation  gradually  migrated  northward. 
It  is  probable  that  the  first  vegetation  to  inhabit  the  bare  lands  after  the 
retreat  of  the  ice  from  the  Starved  Rock  region  was  a  vegetation  com- 
parable to  that  now  found  in  the  tundras  of  Labrador  and  the  Hudson 
Bay  region.  There  still  remain  species  which  may  possibly  be  relics  of 
that  far-off  time.  Notable  among  these  are  the  harebell  and  the  rein- 
deer lichen. 

Following  the  tundra  there  probably  came  an  epoch  characterized 
by  the  dominance  of  species  now  characteristic  of  the  conifer  region  of 
Quebec  and  Lake  Superior.  Several  species  of  this  time  still  remain, 
notable  among  them  being  the  Canada  blueberry  and  the  bunchberry 
(Cornus  canadensis).  Following  the  conifers  there  probably  came  into 
the  Starved  Rock  region  a  vegetation  comparable  to  that  of  the  present 
time  in  northern  Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  that  is,  a  vegetation  of  con- 
siderable luxuriance  and  suited  to  a  cHmate  milder  than  that  of  the 
previous  conifer  period,  and  at  the  same  time  considerably  moister  than 
the  period  of  the  present  time.  Among  the  relics  of  this  relatively 
recent  period  may  be  noted  the  white  pine  (Figs.  6,  9,  39,  pp.  11,  14, 
and  136),  arbor  vitae,  chokeberry,  mountain  holly,  Woodsia,  Selaginella, 
marginal  shield  fern,  and  yew.     In  more  recent  times  this  vegetation 


I40  STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

has  become  greatly  diminished  in  the   Starved  Rock  region  and  has 
become  extinct  in  most  parts  of  northern  IlHnois. 

The  rehc  species  are  in  part  found  in  the  canyons,  as  is  the  case  with 
the  yew  and  the  shield  fern,  and  are  in  part  characteristic  of  the  river 
bluffs.  It  might  be  supposed  that  these  northern  species,  if  they  are 
characteristic  of  a  climate  moister  than  the  present,  would  hardly  be 
found  in  abundance  on  the  river  bluffs  and  would  be  expected  mostly 
in  the  canyons.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  another  factor 
than  diminishing  moisture  is  responsible  for  the  elimination  of  northern 
species,  and  that  is  the  increasing  competition  which  these  plants  have 
been  forced  to  undergo  on  account  of  the  migration  in  modern  times  of 
many  species  from  the  South.  There  are  at  present  in  the  Starved  Rock 
region  many  plants  which  reach  their  approximate  northern  limit  there, 
and  which  may  be  imagined  to  have  been  a  part  of  this  immigrating 
flora  from  the  South  that  has  competed  with,  and  to  a  large  extent 
eliminated,  the  diminishing  northern  flora.  Among  the  most  important 
of  these  southern  species  are  the  hackberry,  Kentucky  coffee-tree, 
honey  locust,  redbud,  pawpaw,  and  Houstonia. 

II.   PRESENT-DAY  CHANGES  IN  THE  VEGETATION 

We  may  imagine  that  the  immigration  of  plants  from  the  South  and 
the  elimination  of  the  receding  northern  plants  is  still  continuing.  At 
least  there  is  no  reason  why  this  process  should  as  yet  have  reached  its 
conclusion,  inasmuch  as  we  know  that  many  species  have  not  as  yet 
reached  their  extreme  limits  of  possible  growth  under  present-day  con- 
ditions. For  example,  the  Osage  orange  is  perfectly  hardy  in  northern 
Illinois  but  as  yet  has  not  reached  in  its  northward  migration  beyond 
Arkansas  and  Mississippi.  Such  migrations  as  are  here  noted  are  gener- 
ally too  slow  to  be  brought  under  survey  by  human  observation,  and  we 
depend  for  our  knowledge  of  such  processes  mostly  upon  data  obtained 
from  fossils. 

Certain  changes,  however,  are  taking  place  at  the  present  time  and 
in  such  a  rapid  way  that  their  study  is  by  no  means  difficult.  Perhaps 
the  most  conspicuous  example  of  such  a  phenomenon  in  the  Starved  Rock 
region  is  the  change  in  the  flora  of  the  river  islands.  Very  casual  observa- 
tion brings  to  view  the  fact  that  the  river  each  year  is  adding  material 
to  the  upgrowth  of  these  islands,  especially  at  the  lower  ends.  As  new 
areas  are  year  by  year  developed  in  this  way  it  is  obvious  that  new 
places  become  available  for  plant  growth.  The  older  parts  of  the  islands 
are  also  being  constantly  built  up,  and  therefore  new  plants  suited  to 


BOTAXV  141 

somewhat  drier  situations  may  replace  the  pioneers  here.  Consequently 
we  find  a  succession  of  forms  inhabiting  such  places,  the  pioneers  on  the 
newer  parts  of  the  islands  being  such  swamp  perennials  and  ephemeral 
annuals  as  were  noted  in  a  preceding  paragraph  (Fig.  40).  As  the 
alluvium  increases  to  such  an  amount  that  the  portions  once  submerged 
for  most  of  the  year  become  largely  free  from  submergence,  even  in  the 
freshets  of  spring,  vegetation  of  quite  another  character  may  develop 
on  the  flood-plains  and  eliminate  the  pioneer  swamp  perennials  and 
ephemeral  annuals.  Hence  we  see  a  constant  invasion  of  the  pioneer 
areas  by  the  trees  and  other  plants  characteristic  of  the  mature  bottom 
lands. 

Similarly,  but  less  conspicuously,  we  find  evidence  of  change  going 
on  both  on  the  river  bluffs  and  in  the  canyons.  Certain  portions  of  the 
bluffs  are  subject  to  constant  erosion  and  there,  of  course,  very  little 
in  the  way  of  plant  life  is  to  be  expected.  On  other  and  more  stable 
portions  one  may  find  evidences  of  pioneer  vegetation  in  the  form  of 
lichens,  which  may  give  way  to  mosses  and  eventually  to  herbs  and 
shrubs.  This  succession  ultimately  culminates  in  a  forest,  which  in  the 
Starved  Rock  region  usually  is  of  the  upland  oak  forest  type  previously 
considered  (Fig.  8,  p.  13).  In  the  canyons  one  finds  evidence  of  gradual 
widening,  and  hence  increasing  exposure,  resulting  oftentiifles  in  the 
slow  elimination  of  the  characteristic  canyon  species.  One  also  finds 
evidences  of  transformation  of  vertical  rock  walls  into  steep  soil  slopes. 
This  change  also  results  in  the  transformation  of  plant  life,  the  pioneer 
liverworts  and  mosses  in  such  places  being  obliged  to  give  way  to  the 
ferns,  herbs,  and  trees  characteristic  of  fhe  gentle  canyon  slopes. 

One  may  perhaps  look  ahead  to  some  future  time  when  the  continu- 
ing processes  of  erosion  will  eliminate  the  canyons  and  the  bluffs,  their 
place  being  taken  by  areas  more  comparable  to  the  present  flood-plain, 
or  at  least  to  relatively  plane  lands  on  which  the  vegetation,  of  course, 
would  be  utterly  different  from  that  now  found  in  the  canyons  and  on 
the  bluffs.  Probably  long  before  that  time  shall  come  we  may  anticipate 
that  the  relic  northern  species  which  now  add  so  largely  to  the  beauty 
and  interest  of  the  canyons  and  the  bluffs  will  have  been  eliminated, 
largely  through  competition  with  the  more  successful  migrating  species 
from  the  South.  Humanly  speaking,  however,  we  may  expect  that 
many  centuries  will  elapse  before  these  interesting  species  have  dis- 
appeared. Particularly  is  this  the  case  since  the  area  has  now, 
fortunatelv,  been  made  a  state  reservation. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


PART  I.  GEOGRAPHY 


Anticline,  topographic  expression  of,  19 

Armstrong  Brook,  42 

Attractions  of  Starved  Rock  region,  16  ff. 

Atvvood's  Cave,  21 

Aurora,  6  [map] 

Bailey's  Creek,  26 

Bailey's  Falls,  26 

Bed  rock:  influence  on  topography,  19- 
25;  buried  surface  of,  26;  depressions 
in,  26;  history  of  surface  of,  27 

Bloomington,  6  [map] 

Bloomington  stage  of  Wisconsin  ice 
epoch,  33  f. 

Bowlder  clay,  in  drift,  28 

BufJalo  Rock,  8 

Buried  valleys,  26 

Canyons,  12 
Cedar  Creek,  ^;^ 

Cement  beds,  40 
Clark's  Run,  36 
"Coal  Measures,"  20 
Coal  mines,  77  f. 
Coureurs  de  bois,  46 

Deer  Park  Glen,  13,  22 

Deposition:  work  of,  in  northern  Illinois, 
31  f.;   effect  of,  39  f. 

Drift,  28  ff.;  composition  of,  28;  strati- 
fied, 29;    topography,  30 

Elgin,  6  [map] 

Erosion:    work  of,  in  northern  Illinois, 

30  f.;   aided  by  man,  44 
Evanston,  6  [map] 

Factories  in  Starved  Rock  region,  77-80 
Farm  Ridge,  30 
Flowing  wells,  40  f. 
Fort  St.  Louis,  54  ff.,  58  f. 
Freeport,  6  [map] 
French  Canyon,  131 

French,  Starved  Rock  region  settled  by, 
45-59 


Galena,  6  [map] 

Galesburg,  6  [map] 

Glacial  drainage  of  Illinois  Valley,  36  f. 

Glacial  epochs  in  northern  lUinois,  32; 

Wisconsin  ice  epoch,  7,^  f. 
Glacier,   effect  of:   on  northern   Illinois, 

30-35;  on  Starved  Rock,  ^2 
Gravels,  high-level,  36  f. 
Ground  moraine,  30 
Growth  of  valleys  after  Ice  Age,  42 

Hennepin  Canyon,  44 
High-level  gravels,  36  f. 
Horseshoe  Canyon,  12,  23 

Ice  Age  in  northern  Illinois,  30-35 

Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  43,  72-75; 
traffic  of,  72  f.;  service  of,  73  f.; 
decline  of,  74  f. 

Illinois  Canyon,  42 

Illinois  Indians,  59;  Kaskaskia  home  of, 
61  ff.;    fate  of,  64  ff. 

Illinois  River,  5  ff.;   course  of,  35 

Illinois  Valley,  8-14;  floor  of,  9  f.;  slopes 
and  bluffs  of,  10  f.;  history  of,  35-38; 
preglacial  age  of,  35;  during  Ice  Age, 
35  f.;  glacial  drainage  of,  36  f.;  French 
settlement  of,  45-59;  permanent  settle- 
ment of,  66-70;  settlement  by 
southerners,  66  f.;  settlement  by 
northerners,  67 

Indians  in  Starved  Rock  region,  59-66; 
Illinois,  59;  occupations  of,  60  f.; 
Kaskaskia  home  of,  61  ff.;  fate  of, 
64  ff. 

Industries  in  Starved  Rock  region,  78  ff. 

Iron  stones,  40 

Joliet,  6  [map] 

Kankakee,  6  [map] 

Kaskaskia:    mission  at,  48  f.;    home  of 

Illinois  Indians,  61  ff. 
Kaskaskia  Canyon,  43 
Kewanee,  6  [map] 


145 


146 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


LaSalle,  6  [map] 

LaSalle  and  his  projects,  49  ff. 

LaSalle  limestone,  26 

Leaching,  effect  of,  39  f . 

Lost  Lake,  43 

Lower  Magnesian  limestone,  25  f. 

Marseilles  stage  of  Wisconsin  ice  epoch,  34 

Mendota,  6  [map] 

Mines  in  Starved  Rock  region,  77-80 

Mission  Ridge,  34 

Moline,  6  [map] 

Ottawa,  6  [map] 

Outlet  River,  origin  of,  37 

Parkman  Plain,  29 

Pecumsaugan  Creek,  25 

Peneplain,  26 

Physiographic  record,  beginning  of,  26  f. 

Postglacial  changes  in  northern  Illinois, 
38-45;  shifting  of  dust  and  sand,  38; 
leaching  and  deposition,  39;  springs 
and  flowing  wells,  40  f . ;  weathering 
and  slumping,  41  f.;  growth  of  valleys, 
42  ff. 

Prairie  du  Chien  limestone,  25  f. 

Prairie  of  Illinois  Valley:  topography  of, 
14  f.;   conquest  of,  67-70 

Princeton,  6  [map] 

Pulpit  Rock,  25 

Railroad  construction  in  northern  Illinois, 

75  ff- 
Resources   of   Starved   Rock   region,   as 

viewed  by  French,  56  f. 
Rockford,  6  [map] 


Rock  Island,  6  [map] 
Rutland  Hills,  34 

St.  Peter  sandstone,  10-25 

Sand  pits,  20 

Split  Rock,  8 

Springs,  40  f. 

Starved  Rock,  location  of,  5  f. ;  6  [map],  88 

Starved  Rock  Lake,  43 

Starved  Rock  State  Park,  history  and 

regulations  of,  81  ff. 
Streator,  6  [map] 

Terminal  moraines,  30 

Till,  in  drift,  28 

Topography,  5-18;  influence  of  bed  rock 
on,  19-25 

Transportation:  pioneer,  70;  demand  for 
improved,  70-77;  Illinois  and  Michi- 
gan Canal,  72-7S 

Trenton  limestone,  20 

Tributary  valleys,  12  ff. 

Upland  clay,  29;  origin  of,  34  f. 

Valparaiso  moraine  of  Wisconsin  ice 
epoch,  34 

Water  supply  in  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock, 
40  f. 

Waterfalls,  13 

Waukegan,  6  [map] 

Wild  Cat  Canyon,  131 

Wisconsin  ice  epoch  in  northern  Illinois, 
;iS  f.;  Bloomington  stage,  7,^;  Mar- 
seilles stage,  34;  Valparaiso  moraine, 
34 


PART  II.     GEOLOGY 


Alluvium,  119 
Bloomington  drift,  115  f. 
Carbondale  formation,  108-15 
Dune  sand,  120 
Early  Wisconsin  drift,  115  f. 

Geologic  formations,  88-92,  94 

Geologic  history  of  Starved  Rock  region, 
120-27:  during  and  before  Paleozoic 
era,  120  ff.;  since  Paleozoic  era,  122-27 

Glacial  gravels,  116  ff. 


Gravels:     glacial,    116  ff.;     of    Chicago 
outlet,  119 

Late  Wisconsin  drift,  116 

Marseilles  drift,  116 

Ordovician  system  of  strata,  96-102 

Paleozoic  era:   events  during  and  before, 

120  ff.;   events  since,  122-27 
Pennsylvanian  system  of  strata,  102-15 
Platteville-Galena  dolomite,  100-102 
Pleistocene  series,  1 15-19 


INDEX 


147 


Pottsville  formation,  105-8 

Prairie  du  Chien  group  of  strata,  q6  ff. 

Quaternary  system  of  strata,  115-20 

Recent  deposits:    alluvium,   119;    dune 

sand, 120 
Rock  formations,  88-92 

St.  Peter  sandstone,  98  ff. 


Starved  Rock  State  Park,  geologic  record 

of,  92-120 
Strata:    description  of,  95-120;  Ordovi- 

cian,  96-102 
Stratigraphic  succession,  94 

Terminal  moraines,  90 

Unconformities,  geological,  93  f. 
Upland  clay,  ii8f. 


PART  III.     BOTANY 


Algae,  132 
Arbor  vitae,  137, 


13Q 


Beech  fern,  135 
Bellwort,  134 
Birdfoot  violet,  137 
Bishop's  cap,  134 
Black  oak,  131 
Bladder  fern,  135 
Bloodroot,  134 
Blue  toadflax,  137 
Blueberry,  132,  137 
Bottom  lands,  137  ff. 
Box  elder,  139 
Bracken  fern,  132 
Bulb  fern,  133 
Bunchberry,  139 
Bur  oak,  131 

Canada  blueberry,  137,  !■ 
Canyons,  132-35 
Chokeberry,  137,  139 
Christmas  fern,  135 
Cinnamon  fern,  137 
Cliff  brake,  133,  136  f. 
Cocklebur,  138 
Corn,  137 
Cottonwood,  139 
Cress,  138 

Dock,  138 

Dwarf  juneberry,  137 

Ferns,  132,  133,  134,  135 
French  Canyon,  131' 

Giant  ragweed,  138 
Goatsbeard,  133 


Hackberry,  139 
Haircap  moss,  136 
Harebell,  137,  139 
Hazel,  132 
Hepatica,  134 
Herbs,  137 
Honeysuckle,  137 
Houstonia,  137 
Huckleberry,  132,  137 
Hydrangea,  wild,  133 

Interrupted  fern,  132 

Jack-in-the-pulpit,  133 

Lichens,  136 
Linden,  135 
Liverworts,  132  f. 
Lousewort,  137 

Maidenhair  fern,  135 
Marginal  shield  fern,  135,  139 
Mosses,  132  f.,  136 
Mountain  holly,  137,  139 

Ninebark,  137 

Oak  forest  uplands,  131  f. 
Ostrich  fern,  135 

Pawpaw,  135 
Pleistocene  Ice  Age,  139 
Prickly  gooseberry,  135 

Red-berried  elder,  135 
Red  cedar,  137 
Redbud,  139 
Reindeer  lichen,  136,  139 
River  bluffs,  135  ff. 
River  maple,  139 


148 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 


Selaginella,  136,  139 
Shagbark  hickory,  131 
Shrubs,  13s,  137 
Spinulose  shield  fern,  135 
Spleenworts,  135 
Sugar  maple,  135 
Swamp  saxifrage,  137 

Trees,  135,  137,  138  f- 
Trillium,  134 

Vegetation:   history  of,  139  ff.;    changes 

taking  place  in,  140  f. 
Virginia  creeper,  135 

Wahoo,  135 
Walking  fern,  133 


Walnut,  139 
Water  beech,  135 
Water  horehound,  137 
Water  leaf,  134 
Western  wallflower,  137 
White  ash,  139 
White  oak,  131 
White  pine,  137,  139 
Wild  Cat  Canyon,  131 
Willow,  138  f. 
Winterberry,  137 
Witch-hazel,  135 
Woodsia,  136,  139 

Yew,  135,  139 


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STATE   GEOLOGICAL  I 


IITEO   STATES  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


STARVED  R0C;K  STATE  PARK 

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E  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  DIVISION 


GEOLOGICAL   MAP 


STARVED  ROCK  STATE  PARK 

AND  ADJOINING   AREA 

Showing  the  distribution  of  surface  and  hard  rock 

formations,  and  the  location  of  clay.  aand.  and 

gravel  plt«.  api-lngB,  and  artesian  wells 


_ 

'2SSZ 


ology  by  Gilbert  H.  Cady 


Scale  l:2'tOOO 


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